Dangerous Reunion (Love Inspired Suspense) (8 page)

When she’d finished and they had left, she glanced around to see Brock waiting for her beside the squad car. She walked over to him. “Thanks for coming with me.”

“I’m glad I was here. I know this was tough for you.”

“Yeah.” She glanced around. “I want to take a look in Doug’s car and see if I can find anything before I go.”

“Are you going to lift any fingerprints?”

“I think I’d better. I doubt if the killer left any prints, but I’d rather check it out. My equipment bag is in the trunk.”

He put his hand on her arm. “I’ll get it. The keys are still in the car. I’ll unlock the trunk and bring it to you.”

“Thanks, Brock.”

Kate waited for Brock to return, then pulled some latex gloves from the bag. After putting them on, she opened the door of the car and looked inside. She gasped aloud, and her body quaked like a jolt of electricity had just surged through her.

An envelope with her name in block letters sat taped to the steering wheel.

“No,” she groaned.

Brock leaned over her shoulder to look inside. “It looks like your killer left you a message, Kate.”

With shaking fingers, she picked up the envelope and unsealed it. Pulling a sheet of paper out, she unfolded it and read the words printed on the page.

Kate, I’m sorry about your friend. But you know what they say—Only the Good Die Young. I’ll Be Seeing You.

Kate stared at the paper in her hand, and a rage like she’d never known coursed through her body. Her instinct told her to crush the paper into a ball and hurl it as far away as possible. Instead she held up the envelope and studied it. Her heartbeat slowed, and her mouth curled into a smile. “Well, well, you may have made your first mistake.”

Brock frowned. “What do you mean?”

Kate arched an eyebrow and held up the envelope. “The other two envelopes had no fingerprints, and I doubt if this one will, either. But the others had the flap tucked down inside the envelope. He sealed this one. That means he must have licked it. Now I have his DNA.”

She leaned down, pulled a plastic bag from the equipment case and dropped the letter inside. She straightened and stared at Brock. “Doug didn’t deserve what happened to him. I don’t know who did this to him, but I’m going to find out. And when I do, this piece of evidence will send Doug’s killer to prison for the rest of his life.”

B
rock still hadn’t shaken the events of the day from his mind as he guided the car off the main road onto the path that led to the house where Kate and her sisters lived. The headlights of his car cut a swath down the road toward the home that Kate’s grandparents had built close to the ocean years before the beaches had been included in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore.

He rounded a corner and pulled to a stop in the yard of the weathered two-story frame house he’d visited so many times in the past. It hadn’t changed in the past six years. A shed next to the house served as a garage, and he could see Kate’s squad car inside.

The house sat nestled at the end of the road next to the beach dunes, and the sound of the ocean breaking onshore drifted from the other side. A light burned in a downstairs window. Upstairs curtains fluttered at an open window on the breeze blowing off the water.

It had been six years since he’d seen this house, and yet it seemed like it was only yesterday. Perhaps it was the fact that its image had been permanently branded in his mind. It was as much a part of Kate as the island itself.

He stepped from the car, and the crunch underneath his feet made him smile. Oyster shells dotted the sandy soil. That hadn’t changed either. The only thing that had changed was why he was here.

Taking a deep breath, he climbed the steps to the front door and knocked. It was opened almost immediately by Emma. Her face broke into a big smile. “Brock,” she squealed. She grabbed his arm and pulled him inside, then glanced over her shoulder. “Betsy, Brock is here.”

Betsy, holding a dish towel, hurried into the room. A slight frown wrinkled her forehead. “Brock, what are you doing here?”

“I came to see Kate. I thought all of you might be at Treasury’s for dinner, but you weren’t.”

Betsy glanced at Emma and handed her the dish towel. “Emma, will you finish drying the dishes while I talk to Brock?”

Emma’s lip protruded in a pout. “But I want to talk to Brock, too.”

Betsy smiled and patted her hand. “You can when you finish the dishes. Now run along.”

Emma’s shoulders drooped as she walked from the room. “Don’t leave without telling me, Brock.”

He laughed. “I won’t.”

When Emma was out of earshot, Betsy turned back to him and placed her hands on her hips. “What do you want?” she snapped.

She’d made it evident when she’d seen him at Treasury’s that she wasn’t happy about his being back on the island. Distrust flickered in her eyes. He didn’t flinch from her steady gaze. “I want to talk to Kate.”

Betsy arched an eyebrow. “Why?”

He swallowed and took a deep breath. “I was with her at the scene of Doug’s murder. I know how upset she was. I just want to make sure she’s all right.”

Betsy studied him for a moment. “It’s taken her a long time to get over her breakup with you, but she’s finally done it. I don’t want to see Kate hurt again.”

“I don’t, either. I promise you that’s not my intention. I don’t know how much Kate’s told you about this case she’s working on, but I’m worried for her.”

Betsy frowned. “Worried? Why?”

“I think she’s got some big problems at work, and I want to help her. I don’t want anything to happen to her.”

Betsy’s eyes grew wide. “Happen to her? Do you think she’s in some kind of danger?”

“She could be. You really need to talk to Kate about it, but I think she needs some help on this investigation. I’m a police detective, Betsy. I want to be there if she needs me.”

Betsy chewed on her lip as her gaze drifted across his face. After a moment she spoke. “I don’t want anything to happen to my sister.”

“Neither do I. Now would you please tell her I’m here?”

“She isn’t here.”

“But her car’s in the garage.”

“She took a walk after dinner and hasn’t come back. She does that a lot. She’s probably on the beach somewhere.”

Brock smiled. “I know where she is.”

He hurried from the house and headed toward the dunes and the beach. Although darkness covered the area, a security light at the edge of the yard lit the path that led up the dune and onto the beach. When he stepped onto the beach, his feet sank into the sand, and he stopped. The light didn’t extend this far from the house, and he stood in total darkness.

Moonlight glimmered on the water a hundred yards away, and he eased toward it. He knew Kate would be sitting halfway between the water and the dunes. As he walked forward, he called her name.

“Kate, it’s Brock. Where are you?”

“I’m here.” Her voice came from directly ahead. A flashlight beam swept over him. “I’ll light your way to where I am.”

He followed the light to where she sat and then he dropped down beside her. He settled onto the sand, stretched his legs out and leaned back on his arms. She switched off the light, and the black night closed in around them. He closed his eyes for a moment and listened to the waves breaking on the beach. How many times had they sat like this in the past? His heart ached for the loss of what had been between them years ago.

After a moment she spoke. “Can you hear it, Brock?”

Puzzled, he opened his eyes. “What?”

“God’s voice.”

Her words surprised him, and he turned toward her. In the moonlight her skin seemed to glow in an almost ethereal manner. “What are you talking about?”

A breeze blew off the water and ruffled her hair. She reached up and smoothed it back into place. “When I’m on the beach, He’s everywhere around me. I can hear Him, and I know He’s with me.”

Captivated by her appearance and the huskiness of her voice, Brock leaned toward her. “How do you hear Him?”

She tilted her face to the sky. “Listen to the sounds around you. What do you hear?”

He squinted in concentration and tried to distinguish sounds in the night. “I hear the ocean and the soft moan of the wind.” A loud, harsh squawk almost like a small dog barking drifted on the night air. “What was that?”

“A Black-crowned Night Heron. It’s their feeding time.”

He still didn’t understand. He swiveled to face Kate. “Why do you want me to hear these sounds?”

“Because you wanted to find God on this island, and He’s here. He’s in the music that the wind and waves make and in the calls of the wildlife here. Every day I thank Him for making this beautiful world and for letting me be a part of it.”

He listened again. “How do you really know He’s here?”

She closed her eyes and lifted her face to the breeze. “How do you know the wind is here?”

“Because I feel it.”

“I feel Him. If you’ll open your heart, you can feel Him, too.”

He tilted his head to the side and exhaled. “You can say that God’s here after what happened to Doug today?”

She clasped her hands in front of her and stared at the ocean. “I’ve been talking with Him about that. I don’t understand why Doug had to die. I may never understand that. In our line of work, though, we see bad things happen to good people every day. Understanding is not the point. Helping do something about the bad things in the world is.”

“But what if you get hurt in the process?”

She shrugged. “I guess that’s a chance we take. The early believers didn’t renounce their faith even when it cost them their lives. Their faith is an example to me to keep on believing in God’s love even when the bad times come. So, I put my trust in Him and believe that in the end, whatever happens is His will.”

His heart thudded. “B-but this killer has threatened you. Do you think God is really going to protect you from being a victim, too?”

“I don’t know. I just know I have a peace about this situation. I placed my life in God’s hands years ago, and I can face whatever comes my way.”

Her soft voice rippled through his mind like the waves washing up on the sand. He wanted to believe like she did, but something held him back. He reached for her hand and covered it with his. To his surprise, she didn’t draw back from his touch.

“I hope you’re right. But just to make sure, I don’t plan to let you out of my sight. What did Sheriff Baxter say when he came to the island this afternoon?”

She glanced down at their clasped hands before she slipped hers free and pushed to her feet. “He was very upset over Doug’s death. We only have five deputies on the mainland to cover the rest of the county, and one of them is off sick. They’re involved in trying to solve a burglary ring that’s operating all over the county. They’ve stolen thousands of dollars over the past few months.”

“Are they targeting homes or businesses?”

“Both, but they seem to like homes better. They’re very selective and only take small, expensive items they can conceal and fence easily. But with our deputies working on that case, the department’s in a bind. Sheriff Baxter can’t send anyone over to help Calvin and me, so the park rangers are going to help out with patrol for now.”

“Is that unusual?”

She shook her head. “No. They help us out whenever we need them.” She was silent for a moment. “Doc sent over the personal effects that were on Doug’s body. The strange thing is that his cell phone was missing.”

“What do you think that means?” he asked.

“I have no idea.”

“It could have been dropped at the crime scene, and we didn’t notice it. Maybe it will turn up tomorrow. Try not to think about it tonight. You’ve had a rough day.” He rose and dusted the sand from the seat of his pants. “While I’m here, I’ll volunteer and help out any way I can. Just tell me what to do.”

“Thanks, Brock. I appreciate that.” She switched the flashlight on. “I think I’d better be getting home. I have an early day tomorrow.”

“I’ll come to the station in the morning.”

She directed the light’s beam toward the dunes and started walking. He stayed beside her until they reentered the front yard of the house. Emma sat on the steps with her elbows on her knees and her chin resting in her hands. She jumped to her feet when she saw them.

“Brock,” she cried. “I thought you’d never come back.”

Emma jumped down the steps and ran toward them. She stopped in front of Kate and smiled up at her. “Can Brock come in and watch TV with us?”

Before Kate could answer, Brock shook his head. “Not tonight, Emma. Your sister is tired, and she probably wouldn’t appreciate all our noise. How about if we do it another night?”

Emma gazed up at her sister. “Can he come another night for dinner, Kate? I’ll help cook.”

Kate frowned. “I don’t…” She stopped and glanced at Brock, then to Emma who had her hands clasped under her chin in a pleading manner. With a laugh, Kate smoothed a wayward strand of hair behind Emma’s ear. “I suppose he can.”

“When?”

Kate’s forehead wrinkled. “One night next week after the festival is over.”

Emma turned to Brock. “Are you coming to see me in the play?”

He glanced at Kate. “When is it?”

“The festival starts Friday. The play is that night at the Hurricane Theater. Emma is playing a servant girl who works for Blackbeard. This is her first part in a play.”

“Then I wouldn’t miss the performance.” He laughed and chucked Emma under the chin. “I want to be there to witness a rising star.”

Emma’s eyes grew wide. “A rising star? Do you really think so?”

He nodded. “I know so.”

Emma glanced up at Kate. “Then Kate will save you a seat. You can sit with her and Betsy and Treasury. When I look out at the audience, I can see all of you together.”

Smiling, Kate put her arm around her sister. “You need to concentrate on saying your line instead of seeing who’s looking at you. Now you run on inside. I’ll be there in a few minutes.” She watched Emma scamper up the steps before she turned back to Brock. “Thanks for coming tonight, and thank you for being with me today.”

He shoved his hands in his pockets and balled his fingers into his palms. He wanted to put his arms around her and hold her, but he knew he gave up that privilege years ago. “I’m glad I was there, too. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Have a good night.”

She turned and climbed the steps to the porch. He watched until she’d disappeared into the house before he trudged back to his car.
Have a good night.
Her words echoed in his thoughts. It had been so long since he’d had a peaceful night’s sleep that he’d almost forgotten what it felt like.

He opened the door of his car and stopped at the squawk he’d heard earlier on the beach. A Black-crowned Night Heron, Kate said. He stood beside the open door of the car and closed his eyes. The bird’s call drifted on the wind that blew in his face, and on the other side of the dunes he could hear the waves rolling onshore.

As he listened to the sounds that Kate said told her of God’s presence, he blocked everything else from his mind and concentrated. If there was something he’d been missing for years, he wanted to find it. Could it really be that simple? Did he just need to look around at the world and listen to the sounds in it to detect the presence of God?

He opened his eyes and turned to stare at Kate’s house. He didn’t understand all that she’d tried to tell him tonight about God and the faith she had, but the memory of her words made the blood rush in his veins. Something told him that tonight he had taken his first step toward finding that elusive peace he wanted.

For the first time in months he felt happy. Even with all the bad things happening around them, his heart felt lighter than it had in months. Maybe it was God, and maybe it was just being around Kate again. Whatever had made it happen, he knew he would sleep well tonight for the first time in a long while.

He held his hands under the hot water and rubbed the bar of soap over his reddened skin. How many times had he scrubbed since he’d been back? Even though he’d worn gloves, he still felt the need to wash his hands again.

He raised his hands in front of his face and stared at them.
So now I’ve done murder.

He hadn’t been sure he could. Not until the last moment when he plunged the knife into that deputy’s back. He didn’t want to do it. In fact, he had debated right up until the last minute. In the end, though, he had no choice. Kate had to know he meant business. Now she would be looking over her shoulder every minute, and when she least expected it he would strike.