The Unrelenting Tide (Islands of Intrigue: San Juans - Christian Romantic Suspense) (20 page)

She complied, able to see how he had cleared the room so quickly. There was nowhere to hide and no windows or closets to check. Just Marissa sitting on the toilet, a pedestal sink with a roll of paper towels hanging by it, and a urinal. The ceiling was a solid sheath of sheetrock.

“Mama, this place is weiwd. Why did Uncle Cawce come in hewe? And what is that thing?” Marissa eyed the urinal quizzically.

Trembling, and too distracted to even reply, Devynne shushed her and listened for sounds from the room next door. She scrunched her eyes shut and held her breath, waiting for the horrifying reverberation of gunfire, or a bomb’s blast.

Nothing but silence. Then the bang of a door, muffled voices, and the bells on the shop door jangled. Someone going? Or coming?

In the distance, the wail of a siren rippled the stillness.

Her body craved oxygen and she gave in, sucking for a lungful, before holding it to again probe the silence.

The tap squawked as Marissa set to washing her hands. The rustle of the paper towels shivered across Devynne’s spine and then a little hand slipped into hers.

“I’m weady, Mama. We can go now.”

Giving herself a shake, Devynne squatted down by Marissa’s side. She needed to act as normal as possible for her daughter’s sake. “You know what? Uncle Carcen and I are playing hide and seek with someone. Uncle Carcen wants us to stay in here until he sees if he can find them.”

Outside, the siren stopped and the bell above the door jangled again.

Furrows formed on Marissa’s little brow. “Who are you playing with, Mommy?”

Devynne tweaked her nose. “We don’t know. Isn’t that funny? It’s all part of the game.”

“Uncle Cawcen will find him.”

Devynne swallowed. “I’m sure he will.” She forced what she hoped at least resembled a smile. “What was your favorite part about today?”

“Hmmm…” The little tyke tapped one finger against her lips as if the fate of the world might rest on her decision. “Dunking Uncle Cawce!”

“That
was
fun wasn’t it?”

She did her best to keep up her end of a lighthearted conversation, all while wondering what was going on outside. It seemed like a lifetime before a knock came to the door. “Dev? It’s me. You can come out now.”

Joy surged at hearing Carcen’s voice and her fingers felt clumsy as she fumbled with the lock. She threw open the door and launched herself into his arms. After only a brief moment she pulled back and pierced him with a questioning look.

But it was Marissa who piped up. “Did you find him, Uncle Cawce?”

Hands still resting at her waist, Carcen’s eyebrows rose in confusion.

Devynne reluctantly stepped away from his touch. “I was telling Marissa how we were playing hide and seek with someone.”

“Ahhh.” Understanding lit his expression. “Well, not this time, munchkin. But we’re still looking.”

Disappointment surged. Yet it was exactly the outcome she’d been expecting. “How did he get out of there?” She nodded her head toward the other restroom.

Carcen sighed. “This building used to be a house. The women’s bathroom must have been converted from the original bathroom, because there’s a window in there. And the lock has been forced. That’s how he apparently got in and out.”

Shannon Niemeyer spoke from where she stood leaning over the jeweled box. “Lang, we’re all clear here. You can look at the contents now.”

Devynne met Carcen’s gaze and mouthed. “No bomb?”

He shook his head. “But, there’s a note. Let’s go see what it says.”

Shannon was taking off a pair of blue gloves as they stepped over to the table.

The hinged lid of the egg shaped box gaped open, the lid fully extended and resting against the table top. Dark green velvet sheathed the interior. A yellow piece of lined paper, folded into a small square with “Shania” scrawled across the top in a bold black stroke, lay nestled inside.

Devynne’s eyes dropped closed. Despair threatened to overwhelm her. He really was here and he obviously wasn’t the man in jail. She drew Marissa closer and cast a look over her shoulder. Yellow crime-scene tape cordoned off the sidewalk out front and she could see an officer stationed there. A crowd was forming on the other side of the police tape. Curious onlookers wondering what was going on inside A Scoop in Time. She took in the faces. Anyone of them could be
him
. Lurking. Watching. Waiting.

“Hey,” Carcen’s soft word drew her attention. He cleared his throat and nodded toward the people outside. “We’re checking them out.” Then, jaw clenched, he pointed at the men’s room door. “We’re going to get this guy.”

She’d heard that sentiment many a time from the Sheriff who’d been assigned to her case in California. No reassurance rose up inside her. No conviction that this time would be any different.

Carcen stepped closer, determination glittering in his gaze. “You hear me, Dev? I’m going to catch this guy.”

Devynne nodded. She wanted to say more, but a nod was all she had to offer.

Shannon Niemeyer pulled out a new pair of blue gloves and tugged them on with a snap.

Marissa yawned expansively and leaned her little head against Devynne’s leg. She picked her up and settled her head against one shoulder. It was well past Marissa’s nap time and Devynne doubted she’d make it much more than a few minutes longer before she was fast asleep.

Carcen held up a finger. “Hold up, Niemeyer.” He stepped to her side and laid a hand on Marissa’s little shoulder. “‘Rissa, can you tell Uncle Carce what the man who gave you the pretty box looked like?”

Marissa lifted her head and rubbed her eyes sleepily. “He was nice.”

Another wave of relief washed through Devynne even as a shudder of terror almost stole the strength from her legs. This could have been so much worse.

Carcen smoothed Marissa’s hair. “I’m glad he was nice. What else can you tell me about him?”

A furrow formed on her brow. “His hat had a Seahawk. Like gwandpa’s. But he wasn’t gwandpa.”

Carcen glanced at Niemeyer who was busy taking notes with her stylus. She nodded indicating she’d gotten that.

“Do you remember anything else?”

Devynne felt her insides begin to harden in anger. Let the man come after her. Let him do his worst. But he’d better
never
go near her daughter again. No four-year-old should have to go through something like this!

Marissa nodded her head. “I could see me.”

Carcen frowned, but Devynne remembered footage of her stalker and another deluge of despair washed over her. “Did he have on sunglasses, honey? Ones kind of like a mirror?”

“Unhuh. Is he who you were playing hide and seek with, Mommy?”

Devynne bent forward and rubbed her nose against her daughter’s as if they were sharing an everyday secret. “Yep. Can you think of anything else that might help Uncle Carcen and I find his hiding spot?”

Marissa rubbed her eyes again and laid her head against Devynne’s shoulder. “He smelled kinda funny. But he didn’t tell me where he was hiding. Sowwy.”

Devynne kissed the back of her head. “Smelled funny? What did he smell like?”

Marissa gave a tired fluttery sigh. “Uncle Cawce smelled like it too.”

“He did? When?”

But the little tyke only gave a shuddered breath as she drifted off to sleep.

Niemeyer put down the tablet where she’d been jotting Marissa’s descriptions and gestured back to the note in the jewelry box with a questioning look at Carcen.

He nodded.

Devynne shifted Marissa to a more comfortable position. “Did you get any prints off it?”

Carcen and Niemeyer met each other’s gazes.

The news wasn’t good then.

Carcen pinched the bridge of his nose. “This guy was smart, Dev. First he probably wore gloves, but even if he did slip up, he handed the box to Marissa and she handed it to you, and I took it from you to set on the table in case it was a bomb and then after it was cleared by Niemeyer and her little bag of magic tricks here,” he waved a gesture to the black bag Niemeyer kept pulling things out of, “she dusted it down, but was only able to get a few partials from the whole thing and likely those are from one of us. But she’s is going to work her magic and see what she can do.”

Devynne looked at Carcen.
Really
looked at him. Let him see all the anger, despair, frustration, fear, and hopelessness she was feeling. “We’re never going to catch him.”

He stepped closer and touched the side of her face. “Yes. Yes, we are.” His thumb stroked her cheek. “These guys always make a mistake. Always. Don’t give up on me. I’m going to keep working this and we’re going to put this low-life away.”

Niemeyer cleared her throat in obvious irritation.

But Carcen didn’t budge. He stayed right where he was, his assessing gaze roving her face. “You with me, Dev?”

She sighed, but nodded. If she couldn’t trust Carcen, who in all the world could she trust? “Okay. I’m with you.”

One corner of his mouth quirked up in satisfaction. “Good. Let’s see what this note has to say, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Here.” He reached for Marissa.

Carcen laid Marissa on a padded bench and then they all turned their attention back to the note.

Niemeyer gingerly extracted it from its velvet shroud using a pair of rubber-tipped tweezers.

Impatience surged through Devynne. She had gloves on. Why didn’t she just use her fingers to get it out of there? Would be quicker.

“There might be trace elements on the paper.” Niemeyer must have noticed her irritation. “We want to disturb the surface as little as possible before we analyze it.”

Devynne crossed her arms and resisted the urge to tap one toe as the officer gingerly opened the note one fold at a time. Finally the whole piece of paper lay flattened on the little pad Niemeyer had laid out on the table top.

She leaned with the others to read what it said.

Kissing Sheriff Lang in the kitchen? After all I’ve done for you? You’re a slow learner. I guess you’ll have to pay some more.

Niemeyer stiffened and glanced back and forth between them.

But Devynne didn’t have the energy to analyze her reaction. The words took the strength right out of her legs and she collapsed into the nearest chair.
I guess you’ll have to pay some more
. What would he do this time?

Her gaze involuntarily banked toward Marissa. How many times would she be required to give up someone she loved? And all for what? Because some degenerate was too infantile to know the difference between a real relationship and a fantasy. Too messed up for the one and too obsessed with the other.

She would have to disappear again. But if she left would he still hurt Carcen? Or his parents, maybe? Settled safely in her new location, she’d read about their deaths on the internet somewhere. Could she live with herself if that happened? Maybe she should stay and fight.

But what about Marissa? She couldn’t just stay here! She couldn’t even let her use a plainly-visible restroom without danger. No way would she be able to keep her safe at all times. The only solution was to run again. To hide again. To keep to herself again.

But the note had asked, “
After all I’ve done for you?
” Had he been watching her for a long time? Since when? A shiver crawled up her spine and clung to her like a cold fog at dawn. She pressed her quavering palms together and tucked them between her knees, studying Marissa where she lay sleeping just a few feet away. Was she even safe right there? How close did she need to keep her at every moment?

And how was she going to disappear this time without help?

Carcen would be skeptical of the plan, she knew.
She
was skeptical of the plan. But this man, whoever he was, slipped through everyone’s fingers like water – never quite graspable, but always leaving evidence behind that he’d been there. Evidence that usually revealed itself in someone’s death.

Her knees wouldn’t stay pressed together and her hands kept slipping out from between them. She couldn’t seem to keep her feet still on the floor either, her heels bounced like little rubber balls.

Then Carcen pulled her to her feet and wrapped her in the strength of his embrace. She rested her cheek against his chest and let the tears she’d been keeping dammed up free.

“Dev. It’s going to be alright.” He smoothed her hair away from her face.

She shook her head. “I can’t do this.”

“Yes you can. We can.” He kissed the top of her head.

She clutched handfuls of his shirt. “I don’t know how to catch him. And I don’t want anyone else around me getting hurt because of him.”

“We’re going to figure this out, Dev.”

“I need your help.” She held her breath. Would he agree?

He nodded. “I know. I’m here. Of course I’ll help you. We all will.”

“No.” She pulled back and looked him in the face. “I need your help to disappear again.”

Chapter 17

Carcen felt the plea like a gut-punch to the solar plexus. He cupped her face with both hands and dropped his forehead against hers. He closed his eyes and just held her. This all felt like too much. He’d give her and Marissa up in a heartbeat if he thought it would really save them from this guy. But the man had proven adept at finding her this second time. Wouldn’t he just find her again? Had she thought that through? Running from a guy like this was not the answer. The only answer was justice.

He shook his head. “Dev…”

She laid one trembling finger across his lips. “Carcen I can’t keep going like this.”

“I know. But we can’t overreact here.”

“Overreact!” She jerked back from him, her voice rising to a level that had Marissa stirring on her bench. “I am
not
overreacting! People’s lives are at stake. Your parents’. Cops’. Marissa’s! Yours.” Her voice broke on those last two words.

He closed his eyes. His heart might just break right along with her.

This was not the place to have this discussion. He glanced back at Niemeyer. “Can you finish up here?”

“Sure.” She nodded and then looked over at Devynne. “I know a guy who can help, if you do decide to, you know, disappear again.”