Dangerous Reunion (Love Inspired Suspense) (7 page)

Kate, I got this close to you, and I can do it again. Enjoy Every Breath You Take. It may be your last.

She jerked the gun from the holster on her belt and whirled to scan the surrounding area. No one on the beach appeared to be watching her, and there was no one else visible up or down the road. Her hand trembled, and she struggled to keep a grip on the gun.

She bit down on her lip and forced herself to think rationally. If he’d intended to harm her, he would already have made his move. Since he hadn’t shown himself, he probably only wanted to frighten her. Was he watching and laughing at how scared she looked? If he was, she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing how terrified she really was.

Kate shoved her gun back in her holster and stuck the note in her pants pocket. Then with an indifference she didn’t feel, she reached in her shirt pocket, pulled out her sunglasses and slipped them on. She straightened to her full height and peered around again. Her heart pounded with fear that any minute, a bullet might cut through her, but she didn’t flinch.

With one last look over her shoulder, she climbed in the squad car and cranked the engine. Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel as she slowly pulled onto the road that led into the village. She held her breath waiting for the crack of a rifle.

When she reached the edge of the town, she exhaled, pulled to the side of the road and wiped the perspiration from her forehead. Then she leaned her head on the steering wheel and offered a prayer of thanks to God for His protection.

B
rock stepped into the police station and walked to the desk where the young woman he’d met yesterday sat. Lisa was what Kate had called her. She looked up from her computer and smiled. Her blue eyes sparkled, and her blond ponytail swayed back and forth as she nodded in his direction. “Hi, Mr. Gentry. Kate told me you were coming in this morning. She’s gone out to the beach, but she’ll be back in a few minutes. You can sit in here with me, or you can wait in her office.”

He walked over and stopped beside her desk. “I’m expecting someone else to meet us here, so I’ll wait out here with you.” He inclined his head toward the two-way radio on her desk. “Any emergencies this morning?”

She smiled and shook her head. “Not like yesterday.”

His gaze took in the dispatch equipment on her desk. “Let’s hope not. Do you get many emergency calls?”

“We have some, but not as many as you might think with the numbers of tourists that are here. Most of the residents on the island know our phone number and call us if they have a problem. Grady did that yesterday when he found Jake’s body, but tourists always call 911. Our 911 terminal is on the mainland at Swan Quarter. Any call to 911 from Ocracoke goes directly there, and they relay the emergency to us.”

“Well, maybe it’ll stay as quiet all day as it is now.” Brock shoved his hands in his pockets and looked around for a chair. “I’ll sit over here out of your way until Kate gets here.”

He’d hardly gotten seated before the door opened, and Kate hurried in. She glanced at him and stopped beside Lisa’s desk. He had dreaded seeing her today after their parting last night. She still appeared upset.

She spoke to Lisa for a moment, then turned to him. “Brock, can I see you a moment in my office?”

He took a deep breath and pushed to his feet. “Sure.” His feet felt like they were weighted with lead as he followed her. His pulse raced, and he steeled himself for what he knew was about to happen. She was about to tell him she couldn’t do what he’d asked.

She led the way into her office and moved aside for him to enter. When he’d stepped inside, she closed the door behind her and motioned to a chair. “Have a seat.”

Brock took a step toward her. Red lines streaked the whites of her eyes, and even her tan couldn’t hide the paleness of her face. If her pallor was caused by concern over his presence on the island, he would leave. She had enough to worry about without adding an old boyfriend to her plate.

He opened his mouth to tell her he was going to leave, but she spoke first. “Something happened this morning.”

Her chin trembled, and he realized that whatever was wrong had nothing to do with his being on Ocracoke. “What?”

As he listened to her relate her trip out to the beach and finding the note in her car, fear boiled up in his throat. He struggled to keep her from seeing how concerned he was. “Did you see anybody around your car?”

“Only Clay. His truck was parked in front of my car. I thought it took him a long time to leave, but I assumed he was taking care of something in his truck.”

“Yeah,” Brock grunted. “Something like taping an envelope to your steering wheel. Tell me what you know about this park ranger.”

Kate shrugged. “Not very much. He was transferred to the island about six months ago from the Smoky Mountain National Park. He grew up in northern Virginia. His parents and sisters still live there. He was married briefly and has a son five years old who lives with his ex-wife near Washington. He doesn’t get to see him very often.”

A twinge of jealousy coursed through Brock. “It sounds like you know more than a little about him. Are you dating him?”

Kate’s eyes grew wide. “Dating him?”

“Yes. Are you in a relationship with him?”

Her mouth dropped open, and her eyes narrowed. She tossed the bag containing the note on her desk. “No, I’m not in a relationship with him, even though he’s tried his best to change my mind. But I don’t have time for that.”

Brock struggled to keep the relief that Kate wasn’t involved with someone else from showing on his face. “So he could be upset with you because you’ve rejected him.”

Surprise flashed on her face. “Do you think it’s possible he’s the one who left the note?”

“He could be. You said yesterday that you couldn’t think of anybody who might be an enemy. A rejected suitor might decide to try some payback. So might a father who blames you for causing his son legal problems.”

“Do you think the man who left the notes could either be Clay or Ean?”

“I don’t know. I’m just saying maybe you need to look closer at the people around you.”

Kate sank down into the chair behind her desk, picked up the plastic bag and studied it a moment before she looked at him. Her eyes held a stricken look. “This is a death threat, Brock. I can’t believe either Clay or Ean would want to kill me.”

He wanted to put his arms around her and assure her that she was right, but he had no idea if she was or not. “Don’t worry, Kate. We’re going to find this guy. I’ll help you any way I can.”

Her lips trembled. “Thank you. I’m trying to keep a professional attitude about this, but it’s different when it seems like someone is carrying out a vendetta on you and you have no idea who it could be.”

Brock smiled. “You’re a police officer, Kate, but it’s also okay to be human. If you weren’t concerned, I’d worry about you. It’s that fear that’s going to help us find this guy.”

Kate inhaled and pushed to her feet. She picked up a manila folder that lay on her desk and held it out to him. “I brought this from home for you.”

“What is it?”

“It’s all the information I have on my brother—his name, date of birth, his mother’s and our father’s names, hospital where he was born, his aunt’s name and where our father worked and lived. It doesn’t seem like much to go on, but it’s all I have.”

He opened the folder and rifled through the loose-leaf papers inside. “This looks good. I’ll fax all this to my friend and then put it in the mail. You’d be surprised how many people he’s found with a lot less to go on.”

Her gaze softened. “I appreciate your help on this, Brock. It means a lot to our family.”

A knock on the door interrupted his response. Lisa’s voice called out from the other side. “Kate, Grady and Dillon McAllister are here.”

Brock turned, opened the door and waited for Kate to exit before he followed her into the outer office. Grady, in cutoff jeans and a straw hat, stood next to Dillon. He laughed and poked a finger in Dillon’s chest.

“Yes, sir, you done come to the right place if you want to know about Blackbeard. I know all about my ancestor.”

Kate stopped beside Dillon and laughed. “I see you’ve already met Grady.”

“Yep. And I’ll take good care of him, Kate.” Grady’s wide grin revealed a missing tooth.

Kate cocked an eyebrow at Grady and wiggled a finger at him. “Remember, Grady, he wants factual information. None of your made-up stories about Blackbeard. Okay? We don’t want the students who use Dillon’s textbook to get the wrong information.”

Grady’s chest swelled, and his mouth puckered into a grimace. “I never tell anything but the gospel truth. This morning we’re going out in the salt marsh to look for Blackbeard’s money tree.”

“Money tree?” Dillon glanced from Kate to Grady.

Grady rocked back on his heels and stuck his hands in his pockets. “Well, you see, young feller, before Blackbeard died, he buried his treasure somewhere on this island, and he promised that he would protect it. People have been tryin’ to find it for years.”

“You don’t say.” Dillon tried to suppress a grin as he glanced at Kate.

Grady’s eyes sparkled as they did each time he began to spin a tale about his famous ancestor. He inched closer to Dillon. “There’s them of us who believe old Blackbeard’s ghost is still a-walkin’ around this island just waitin’ to take revenge on anybody tryin’ to steal his treasure.”

“Grady.” Kate arched an eyebrow. “I said stick to the truth.”

Dillon threw back his head and laughed. “I can see I’m in for a treat. Let’s get going. I can hardly wait.”

With his arm draped around Dillon’s shoulders, Grady flashed a grin at Kate as they left the office. When they’d gone, Kate turned back to Lisa and started to say something but stopped. A frown covered Lisa’s face. Kate stepped closer to her desk. “What’s the matter, Lisa?”

She bit down on her lip and shook her head. “Maybe it’s nothing, but I’m worried about Doug. He signed in for his shift nearly four hours ago and went out on patrol about thirty minutes later. I haven’t heard from him since.”

“Have you tried to call him?”

“I have, but he’s not answering his cell phone.”

“Is that unusual?” Brock asked.

Kate nodded. “Very much so. Doug always stays in touch. See if you can get him again.”

Lisa picked up her cell phone, but before she could dial, the emergency radio crackled. “Nine-one-one emergency. Deputies and EMS needed on Pirate Creek Road past Swanson’s Camp Ground. Officer down.”

Lisa’s eye widened as she reached for the mic and punched a button. “Ten-four. Officer on the way.”

“Doug!” Kate almost screamed the name before she bolted and ran for the door, with Brock right behind.

He barely had time to jump into the squad car before Kate pulled away from the curb with the siren wailing. Brock glanced at her as she sped through the village and onto the road that led to the remote campground. An anguished expression covered her face.

She looked over at him. “He’s just a boy, Brock. He hasn’t learned how to be careful yet.”

Brock wanted to reach over and touch her arm, but he didn’t dare. “It’s going to be all right, Kate.”

She stared straight ahead. He could only see her profile, but from her stony expression he knew she was preparing herself for tragic news. “No, it’s not. I have a horrible feeling that something bad has happened to Doug.”

Kate sped through the village streets and swerved onto the road that led out of town. Within minutes they’d passed the campground, which was crowded with everything from pricey recreational vehicles to foldout campers to a few lonely tents that dotted the perimeter of the grounds. She skidded onto the first road to the right and sped down a narrow gravel road leading to the salt marsh that backed up to the campground.

Beside her Brock gripped the edge of the seat and tried to keep from slamming against the door. “This seems like a deserted area. Do you normally patrol down this road?”

“Yes. This has been a hangout for local kids who want to get away from their parents for a while and party. They throw their trash in the salt marsh, and it eventually becomes an environmental hazard. We’ve also found some underage drinkers down here and even caught a few kids smoking marijuana so we’ve made this road a part of our patrol. We come down here several times a day.”

They turned a corner, and Kate’s breath caught in her throat. Doug’s squad car sat beside the road, its motor running. The ambulance, its lights blinking, sat beside the cruiser in the road and blocked her view of the scene. The back doors of the ambulance were open. She stopped her car behind Doug’s.

A woman and a man she’d never seen before stood at the side of the road. The man had his arm around the woman, and she had her head on his shoulder. They straightened as the squad car pulled to a stop. The woman raised her arm and pointed a trembling finger to the front of the ambulance.

Kate was out of the squad car as soon as she’d turned off the ignition and sprinted between the ambulance and Doug’s cruiser. Brock’s footsteps thudded behind her.

When she reached the front of the vehicles, she stopped short, her hand pressed to her mouth. Brock bumped her from behind as he plowed into her.

Kate took a step forward and stared at the scene before her. Doug lay sprawled in the middle of the road. Two EMTs bent over him, their bodies shielding her view. One of them glanced over his shoulder. “Hi, Kate.”

She could only see Doug’s legs, but they weren’t moving. “H-how is he, Jimmy?”

Jimmy pursed his lips and shook his head, then turned back to his task. Kate watched for a moment before she took a deep breath and turned around. Retracing her steps, she approached the couple standing beside the road. “Good morning. I’m Deputy Kate Michaels. Are you the ones who made the 911 call?”

The man nodded and pointed in the direction of the campground. “We’re staying over at Swanson’s, and we’ve been taking a walk down this road every morning since we’ve been here. When we saw the officer lying in the road, I called for help.”

“Did you see anyone else around?”

“No. He was just lying there. I bent down to see if he was breathing, but I couldn’t tell.”

“There was so much blood.” The man’s wife burst into tears.

Kate’s stomach roiled at the idea of Doug lying on a deserted road. She swallowed and tried to suppress the tears threatening to flood her eyes. “When you came down the road, did you meet any cars or see any on the main road?”

They both shook their heads. “No.”

Brock walked up to Kate and touched her arm. “Kate, the EMTs want to see you a minute. They’re getting ready to transport Doug.”

She glanced back at the couple. “Please don’t leave. I need to get your names and contact information.”

She turned, strode back to front of the ambulance and sagged against the fender. Doug’s body with a white sheet covering it lay on a gurney. “No,” she moaned.

Jimmy walked over and put his hand on her shoulder. “I know how you must feel, Kate. I want you to know we did everything we could, but we couldn’t resuscitate him. He was already dead when we got here.”

A tear trickled down the side of her face, and she wiped at it. “How did he die?”

Jimmy’s brow wrinkled. “Stab wounds. Whoever did this was up close when he attacked Doug.” He glanced back at the body. “We’ll take him back to the Health Center. You can come by there when you get through here.”

She bit her lip and nodded. Jimmy turned back to Doug’s body, and within minutes they had him loaded into the ambulance. Kate tried to shake the scene from her head as she took down the information of the couple who’d found Doug’s body.