Murder in Real Time Page 13

  She leaned against the door, deflated. Her weary eyes drooped and my heart broke. Through all my shenanigans in high school, she never looked so distraught. She was too kind to be so sad. If karma was real, why would this gentle woman have had a wreck of a daughter like me?

  I wrapped my arms around her neck and held her close. “I’m sorry I worry you.”

  She sniffled and my eyes stung. “It’s your way. You’re brave and curious. All the things I’ve never been.”

  “Sorry.” I pushed her long hair away from my cheeks, inhaling the natural lavender of her shampoo.

  Mom pulled her face back and gripped my cheeks into a pucker. “Don’t be sorry for who you are. Be proud. I admire all those things about you.”

  My lips trembled. “You do?”

  “Yes, you silly girl. Of course I do!”

  We were so different. Our disconnect normally rivaled the ocean for depth and size, but for a moment, in my tiny bathroom, love bridged the gap.

  * * *

  When Claire and I got back to the island after picking up my newly leased Prius, I met Missy and her giant white sheepdog, Thor, on the beach for some fresh air. Wind whipped my hair into my eyes, and I wrangled it into a tighter knot on my head. I inhaled the familiar salt and brine with a smile. Nothing on earth compared to the beach. Thor chased sandpipers along the surf on his retractable leash. Missy and I settled into the sand on a deserted strip where trees from the national forest intruded on the beach. The two habitats collided in a postcard-perfect picture.

  I buried my feet in cold sand and wiggled my toes. Missy pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She kept Thor’s leash in a white-knuckled grip as he pounced randomly at birds and shells. Waves crested and broke in the distance, creating the soothing white noise and scenery. I doodled a flower in the sand with my fingers.

  Missy watched for a moment. “Did you see the paper?”

  “Yep.” I dusted sand from my palms and dodged the conversation. “Is the catering business going any more smoothly? You mentioned you’re spread thin with all the election parties coming up and a television show vying for your goods. I hope Half Baked is giving you a fair price for their assistance.”

  “They are, and Fargas hired some ladies from the book club to help with the phones so Melinda and I can concentrate on catering.” She bit into the thick of her lip. “Guess who applied for the full-time receptionist position.”

  “Who?”

  She covered her eyes. “I don’t mean to gossip, but it’s so ironic.”

  “Who?” I ran through a list of possibilities.

  “Maple Shuster.” Missy burst into giggles.

  I joined her. Maple relayed information faster than the local internet connection. “Oh my gosh, that’s fabulous.” I laughed. “Well, her information will be direct from the phone lines soon.” When she answered the phone, she could tell the caller everything she already knew about their complaint and close all the little cases herself.

  I settled my breathing and eased back onto my elbows in the sand. I lifted my chin to the sun, soaking in the weaker rays of fall. “Have you found a nice man to court you in this crowd of fanners and ghost hunters?”

  “No, but I’m into the whole ghost hunter thing.”

  My eyes popped open. “Et tu, Brute?”

  She laughed. “I can’t help it. I love the mysterious vibe they all have. The dark colors and piercings.” She fanned her face. “The tattoos.”

  I liked those, too. “Yeah?”

  “Yeah. Melinda and I recognize a few of them by their ink now. She’ll elbow me and say, ‘Don’t look now, but Sprocket’s on your right.’ Sprocket is the one with giant green eyes and short blond hair. He has a sleeve of tattoos in the shapes of gears and sprockets. It’s so cool. He’s so handsome.”

  I could appreciate a nice tattoo and a handsome face. Sebastian’s dangerous eyes and armband came into mind. I sighed.

  Missy shifted onto her side. “Have I thanked you lately for introducing me to Melinda? It’s so much fun having a girlfriend and a surrogate family. Her kids call me Aunt Missy.”

  “That’s great. I know she loves having a close friend, too. Who doesn’t? Her daughter, Gigi, still calls me Ear.” Gigi had found a human ear while taking a walk on the beach with me last month and the name stuck. With any luck, she’d forget that day before she grew old enough to have nightmares about it.

  Missy piled handfuls of sand in little dunes between us. “How’s Claire? I saw her jogging near the harbor today.”

  I smiled. “She’s good. She’s in love with The Watchers. The producer offered her a role as an extra in the Halloween episode. Now she’s going crazy. She got the call after breakfast, and I thought she’d won the lottery.”

  Missy squealed. “I’m so jealous. Do you think you can get on the show, too?”

  “No thanks. Claire and Adrian swear the show is normally about global culture and customs, but the whole town’s black with gothic garb and all I see is Halloween preparations, based on old island legends meant to scare children. From where I’m sitting, I don’t see the draw.”

  The trees rustled behind us and Thor trampled over Missy to take his place as sentinel. His tail whipped up a sandstorm as he flew past us. Woof! Woof! Woof! He yanked and pulled his leash, dragging Missy an inch or two in his direction with each powerful tug. I wiped sand from my eyes and tongue, then grabbed Thor’s leash and helped Missy get a footing to reel him in.

  “Sit!” She fell into the sand beside Thor, who gave up his pursuit in favor of a seated rant. Woof! Woof! Woof!

  A trio of men in dirty jeans and black canvas coats marched out of the trees and onto the sand. They stopped to take in the enormosaurus barking and pawing in their direction.

  “Can I pet him?” the guy carrying a tent asked.

  “Really?” Missy’s eyes twinkled as the one with blond hair met her on his knees in the sand. Thor fell onto his side and rocked his belly into the man’s legs.

  I scanned the pair waiting at a safe distance from Thor. “Were you camping in the woods?”

  They bristled. The barrel-chested one tapped the gadgets on his belt. “We were hunting. I’m Rex. This is Fetch.”

  Thor flipped onto his tummy, ears at attention.

  I stifled a laugh. Rex would be wise not to repeat that name. “Catch any ghosts?”

  Rex scoffed. “We don’t catch ghosts. We monitor them, and yes, we found plenty of spiritual residue in these woods. The electromagnetic fields are off the chart. We witnessed a mist following the spotlight’s path around the lighthouse at midnight.”

  I dropped my chin to my chest and counted to ten. They believed. I didn’t have to.

  Beside me, Missy and her new friend laughed. Thor climbed into the man’s lap and toppled him over. The guy dusted himself off, removed his jacket and shook out a pound of sand. Up one of his arms was a beautiful tattoo made of gears in varied shades of gray and blue. I caught Missy’s attention and widened my eyes in question. She nodded. So, this was Sprocket.

  I shoved my hand Sprocket’s way. Thor licked it. “I’m Patience Price. Nice to meet you...”

  “Chance Huntley.”

  “Hi, Chance. This is Missy, and—” I motioned to the sand-caked dog between us, “—you’ve met Thor.”

  Chance knelt beside Thor and rubbed his head. “Thor, huh? I think you’re more of a Loki.”

  Missy wrinkled her forehead in confusion.

  Chance could explain mythology. I needed to think. “I’m going to go check out those EMPs. I’ll catch up with you later, Missy. Nice to meet you Chance, Rex and Fetch.”

  Rex grumbled, “EMFs.” The others called out goodbye.

  I stuffed sandy feet back into well-worn sneakers and followed the forest trail toward th
e lighthouse. The Assateague Lighthouse stood watch on the highest point in the forest. I kept a careful eye out for wild ponies and forced my thoughts away from the last time I’d seen a pony in the forest. It hadn’t ended well for the pony, thanks to the arms dealer who’d been chasing me. Images of that night blurred my vision and I sucked air. I didn’t have time for panic attacks. So far I’d kept them at bay on sheer willpower and hardheadedness.

  A twig snapped nearby, and I nearly swallowed my tongue. I put my head down and moved more quickly toward the lighthouse steps. Horses couldn’t climb stairs. I hoped. Behind me, branches cracked and feet thundered. Not horse hooves. Feet. Panic took over, igniting my fight-or-flight response. In other words, compelling me to flee. Fighting was for tough guys. I was one hundred forty pounds of fear and curiosity. I sprinted through the forest, ducking under low hanging bushes and pulling spindly branches with me. I released one as the footfalls drew nearer.

  Crack!

  “Ow!” A slew of curses echoed through the forest.

  “You!” I marched back the way I’d come, burning with indignation.

  Todd Ramone rubbed his throat and gasped for air.

  “You big creep! What are you doing out here? Why are you following me? Why’d you chase me like a freaking mob boss?” I swallowed mouthfuls of air.

  “A what?” His voice was froggy. He leaned against a tree, panting and scowling.

  “You heard me.” I wrapped my fingers around the stun gun masquerading as a cell phone in my purse. “Why are you stalking me?”

  Todd braced his hands on his knees and pulled in shallow breaths. “That limb hit me in the throat. It seems like you’re the one trying to kill me, not the other way around.”

  “Why’d you chase me?”

  He face crumbled in confusion. “You ran.”

  “Because you were chasing me!”

  “I was observing you, not stalking you. I would’ve caught up if you didn’t take off like a gazelle. I’m a reporter, not a sprinter. By the way, you’re fast.”

  Too bad Claire didn’t hear that. I knew I didn’t need a marathon. I eyeballed Todd. “You didn’t tell me why you’re following me.”

  His blue eyes sparkled. “I’ve been on the island long enough to see that you’re where the story is.”

  I moved closer. “I’m not your story, and Todd’s not even your name. What’s that about, Lou?” I mocked.

  He beamed. “You read my stuff. You looked me up.”

  “No.” Yes, obviously. “Not the point. At all. You lied about your name. Probably everything that comes out of your mouth is a lie.”

  “I use a pen name—” he elongated the words, “—for anonymity. I have to protect myself.”

  “You mean you have to cover your rear.”

  “No. I mean anonymity. I can’t have every woman on the planet after me, can I? Writing about The Watchers is a sticky job. Fans will do anything to get at this cast.”

  “Sure. What else do you lie about?”

  He straightened and shoved both hands in his back pockets. A tuft of sandy hair fell over his forehead. “I don’t lie. I report what I see.”

  “Right.” I turned my back on him and finished my walk to the lighthouse steps. He followed on clumsy feet, alerting every living creature in a ten-mile radius of our approach. No risk of running into a pack of ponies with him around.

  I climbed a few steps and sat while my heart settled. The leaves were a painter’s pallet, from amber to crimson and every shade in between. Evergreens anchored the colors together, with their wide brown trunks and knotted roots poking free from the ground before disappearing again over the forest floor. Occasional shafts of light illuminated patterns over fallen leaves. I inhaled the cool earthy scents of soil and sand. If only the streets in town were half as peaceful.

  “What are you doing?” Todd obstructed my view of the trees.

  I peered up at him. “I’m thinking. I come here to think, and I like to watch the trees and look for birds.”

  “Birds,” he deadpanned.

  “Yes. I met some birders who taught me about the birds living in the forest and sometimes I come and look for them. It’s peaceful. If you hold still, you can see things you can’t see when you’re giving me an inquisition.” I held a finger to my lips and he eased onto the step below me without another word.

  Wind tickled the leaves, jostling the stubborn ones and sending flurries of their weaker brethren to the ground. Something caught my eye as the nearby limbs danced in the steady breeze. “Sonofa...”

  I inched past Todd on the steps and stopped at the foot of a large oak tree.

  “What do you see?”

  I kicked the leaves at my feet. “I need a long stick. Help me find something I can reach into this tree with.”

  Todd jumped into action, offering a steady stream of branches until one suited my goal. I hefted it into the air and knocked it against the tree. Something snapped over our heads and a black plastic apparatus careened off branches, cracking and busting at my feet.

  “What’s this?” He picked up the camera and stared open-mouthed. He inspected it with a look of intense intrigue and concentration before turning his wide-eyed expression on me. “Someone bugged the forest.”

  “No. Someone’s watching the forest.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  I wandered the paths through the trees with my face tilted skyward, searching for more cameras. Todd followed. He asked more questions than I’d ever heard from one person. I ignored as many as possible and concentrated on knocking cameras from trees. An occasional blinding shaft of sunlight sent me stumbling backward and blinking away spots. I made a mental tally of possible laws broken by setting up cameras in a national forest.

  Todd grabbed my elbow when I stumbled. “I can’t see how one gal can cause so much trouble. I’ve done my research. Did you know before you returned home this summer there was a crime rate of zero here? I dug up a couple property line squabbles between neighbors and a high school kid shoplifting condoms, but aside from that, nothing. Then you move home and...”

  I spun on him. “I know perfectly well what has transpired since I moved home. None of it has had anything to do with me.” Mostly. “Reporters like to make drama where none exists and beef up their stories so they seem more interesting. You should know that.” I stretched my neck side to side and winced.

  “Are you okay?”

  “My neck hurts.” I kneaded the muscles across my shoulders. “Owie.”

  Todd touched my neck lightly. “May I?”

  I slapped his hands away. “No. You may not.”

  He huffed and moved closer, as if I was the one bothering him. “Come here and don’t be so stubborn. You’ve been looking into the trees for twenty minutes.” He pressed the tender muscles with the pad of his thumb. “There?”

  I bit my lip. “Yeah.”

  He applied pressure across both shoulders. “Is that too much?” Heat from his body burned through my jacket.

  I fought to keep my eyes open and my chin up. “Nope. That’s perfect.”

  Todd massaged my neck while I fought an inexplicable blush heating my cheeks. Was it cheating on Sebastian if I really liked this shoulder rub? What if I definitely did not like the liar giving it to me?

  He cleared his throat. “I think you should stop camera hunting for today. You’ve found four. I’d say that’s enough evidence to get a few forest rangers worked up. They can take it from here. You’re hurting and besides, they probably posted cameras all over town to capture the best crowd shots. You can start collecting them in town after you go soak in a tub or ice your neck. I’m not sure which is the better move.”

  I wiped my mouth in case of drool and rolled my shoulders. “Who do you think posted the cameras?” My first inclination was the mor
onic ghost hunters who had left the woods carrying a tent, but Todd sent my thoughts in a sickening direction. A couple of kids with some gadgets and a web cam didn’t worry me nearly as much as a television show capable of airing my late night romp with Sebastian during prime time.

  Todd frowned as though I’d lost IQ points. “The Watchers crew. If they want candid shots and conversations, they have to be prepared. This show isn’t about the contestants living in the house. The Watchers is about the contestants participating in a culture or community. They came here for ghosts, so they probably plan to stage some strange happenings and tape the reactions.”

  Like a mist circling the lighthouse. The ghost hunters did see something. Hollywood special effects.

  We reached the forest’s edge and I headed for my Prius. “Where’s your car?”

  The beach lot was desolate. The few campers and pickups parked with mine when I’d arrived were replaced with seagulls picking the ground. Missy and Thor were gone, hopefully to visit with Sprocket a little more.

  “I walked.”

  I beeped my door open and scanned the area. “Why?”

  Todd shrugged. “I see more when I move slower.”

  True, but nuts. It took forever to walk to the beach from town. “Get in.” I waved my hands over the Prius’ roof. “It’s getting cold and looks like rain.” I shook from my mind images of him walking alone down the road back to town. Herds of frustrated ponies probably waited to punish the morons who kept them up at night searching for ghosts and pinning cameras to trees.

  Todd opened the passenger door and slid inside. I tossed my bag and the busted cameras into the backseat. I hit the gas and didn’t stop until I reached the police station. Todd climbed out and walked away.

  “Where are you going?” I asked.

  His wide, cocky smile reminded me of another blue-eyed pain I had. “Will you miss me?”

  “No.”

  “See you around, Patience Price.”

  “See ya, Lou.”

  I marched into the station and waited for Melinda to finish her call. The room was quiet. I peeked out the window. No cruiser in the side lot. I’d parked alone on the curb. At least the hubbub had died down since The Watchers had first arrived. The call volume seemed more reasonable than the last time I called.