Trinity Harbor 3 - Along Came Trouble (34 page)

“King, can we start over?”

He reached down and took her hand between his cal oused hands. “Darlin’ girl, we already have.”

21

C
ynthia Miles was cool as a cucumber as she withstood Walker’s pounding questions about her presence in Trinity Harbor on the day of the murder.

Tucker was impressed despite himself. Her composure was apparently the result of al those press conferences she handled for her political clients. She was seemingly unfazed by the pressure.

Walker, however, was another story. He was getting irritated by Cynthia’s calm responses and her ability to remain completely unflappable.

Tucker shot him a warning look, but that was the most he felt entitled to do. He was being al owed to sit in thanks to Walker’s goodwil . He didn’t want to test that by criticizing or trying to take over.

Andy, however, appeared to have no such qualms. “Walker, could I see you outside for a minute?” he inquired in a tone that commanded his former detective to obey.

Looking thoroughly disgruntled, Walker fol owed Andy from the room, which left Tucker alone with Cynthia. The temptation to turn the screws just a little was too great to resist. There was one topic Walker hadn’t broached yet: those unidentified fibers on Chandler’s pants that suggested he’d been intimate with someone before his death.

“You told Deputy Ames a few minutes ago that you didn’t blackmail Chandler to get that money he paid you on the day he was kil ed,” he said.

“That’s right.”

“But you’re not denying it came from Chandler?”

“No.”

“Then what did you do for it?”

She regarded him blankly. “What do you mean?”

Tucker feigned a laid-back, mostly disinterested demeanor. “Was it for services rendered?”

“I hadn’t worked for Larry for years,” she retorted.

“I was thinking of something a little more personal,” he said.

Her jaw dropped. She was on her feet and lunging for him before he could react. “Why you low-down swine,” she shouted, raking her fingers down his cheek hard enough to draw blood.

Tucker had her hands behind her back and in cuffs before she could get in a second attack. Andy and Walker charged through the door in the same instant, guns drawn.

“What the hel ?” Walker demanded, eyeing his suspect’s cuffed wrists. Then he caught a glimpse of Tucker’s bleeding cheek and winced. “Tucker, what went on in here?”

“Ms. Miles and I were just engaging in a little casual conversation,” he said mildly. “She took offense.”

“He accused me of being Larry Chandler’s whore,” she snapped. “I don’t tolerate that kind of accusation from anyone.”

Walker regarded Tucker with surprise. “You said that?”

“I just asked how she’d earned that money she got from Chandler. She drew her own conclusions.”

“Maybe you’d better wait outside,” Walker suggested, barely managing to hide his amusement.

“Sure thing,” Tucker said easily. “I probably ought to get a tetanus shot while I’m at it. Maybe I’l wander on over to the doctor’s office.”

Cynthia lunged at him again, but she was too late. He closed the door between them, then grinned at Andy, who’d stepped out with him. “I seem to have upset the lady.”

“Indeed,” Andy said, regarding him suspiciously. “I’ve got to wonder why. You usual y demonstrate a bit more finesse.”

“Does she strike you as a woman who responds wel to finesse?” he asked. “She’s a street fighter. I wanted to see if I could rattle her.”

“And?” Andy asked.

“I did. She wasn’t with Chandler right before he died. I’d stake my badge on it. In fact, I pity the woman who was, if Cynthia finds her before we do.”

He looked at Andy. “I know you like hanging around in the thick of the action, but would you mind giving me a ride back to Trinity Harbor? I need to catch up with Mary Elizabeth. I have a feeling things are going to come to a head real soon. She could be in danger.”

“I’l take you,” Andy said at once. “But you don’t need to worry about Liz. I cal ed in the reserves.”

Tucker stared at him. “Who?”

“Your father.” He chuckled at Tucker’s sharp intake of breath. “Of course, I didn’t exactly mention to him that it was Liz he was going to be keeping an eye on. Al I said was I wanted someone to keep watch at the bookstore. He thought he was going over there to protect Gail. He took to the idea with as much enthusiasm as if I’d asked him to guard the president. Any idea why?”

“Probably because he’s been looking for an excuse to try her coffee,” Tucker said. “He made such a big deal about someone from outside coming in to sel books and gourmet coffee that I’m sure he hasn’t dared to step into the place since she opened.”

Tucker tried to imagine an armed King and Mary Elizabeth under the same roof and shuddered at the image. “I hesitate to think what his reaction was when he found Mary Elizabeth working there. You know, Thorensen, for a smart man, you have some real dumb ideas from time to time.”

“You know anyone else with a hunting rifle I could have cal ed on in a pinch?”

“Half the town,” Tucker said. “Any one of them would probably have been better than my father, under these circumstances.” He glanced at the speedometer and noted they were doing precisely the speed limit. “Can’t you make this car go any faster?”

“What kind of example would we be setting?” Andy asked.

“I don’t give a rat’s behind about setting an example right now. I’d like to get back there before those two kil each other.”

“They’l be fine,” Andy assured him. “Unless, of course, Gail has talked them to death by now, trying to make them see reason.”

It was going on five-thirty when they reached the bookstore, which was locked up tight.

“I thought Gail closed at six,” Tucker said, regarding Andy worriedly.

There was a pinched expression around Andy’s mouth when he nodded. “She does.”

“Then why the hel is this place al locked up?” Tucker demanded, trying to peer inside. He couldn’t see a sign of anything amiss, but that didn’t seem to stop his heart from pounding.

“Were you planning to meet Liz here?” Andy asked.

“No,” Tucker said as his memory kicked in. “I told her I’d meet her at Earlene’s at five-thirty. She must have gone over there.”

“You check there. I’l take a look around inside and meet you in a minute,” Andy suggested.

“Good idea,” Tucker agreed, already jogging down the block.

But a trip to Earlene’s proved futile, as wel . She hadn’t seen Mary Elizabeth, Gail or King al afternoon.

“Damn,” Andy muttered when Tucker fil ed him in. “Everything inside the bookstore looks just fine. The register’s locked up. The coffeepot’s turned off, so they didn’t leave in a hurry. Dammit, what the hel was King thinking? I told him to stay put.”

Tucker punched out the number for Cedar Hil on his cel phone. When he got the answering machine, he left a curt message, then tried Swan Ridge and left the same message there.

“Where the hel could they be?” he asked Andy, trying to keep the edge of panic from his voice.

“I’l try our house,” Andy said, dialing his own cel phone, but hanging up a moment later in frustration. “Not there, either.”

“You take your car and start looking. I’l pick up mine over by the bookstore and go the opposite direction. We can stay in touch by cel phone.”

“Shouldn’t we cal Walker and see if he can spare some deputies to start looking?”

“He’s got al of them combing the area trying to hook up with Ken Wil is, but I’l let him know what’s going on. At least they can keep an eye out while they’re on the road.”

Tucker placed the cal , fil ed Walker in, then met Andy’s gaze. “I real y don’t like this,” he said grimly.

“I’m not so crazy about it myself,” Andy agreed. “But there’s one thing that’s keeping me from panicking.”

“What’s that?” Tucker asked.

“Can you see anyone getting the better of your father when he’s toting a rifle?”

Tucker considered the question. His father was a crack shot. He’d taught al of them to be comfortable and responsible with guns at an early age.

Even Daisy could hit a target dead-center at a hundred feet. It was scant comfort, but at least some of his tension eased when he thought of al that.

“No,” he admitted. “Daddy can hold his own.”

“Then it’s not likely that someone has taken al three of them captive,” Andy concluded. “Let’s hang on to that thought. We’l probably find them sitting around somewhere sipping lemonade.”

As if they’d both reached the same conclusion at the same, precise moment, they both said, “Anna-Louise’s.”

Tucker punched out the pastor’s number. The phone rang and rang. Anna-Louise sounded breathless when she final y picked up. “This better be important,” she grumbled.

“You okay?” he asked before he stopped to consider the likely cause of her attitude.

“Tucker? What’s wrong?” she said, instantly sounding more alert and less grouchy.

“Are Mary Elizabeth, Gail and my father with you, by any chance?”

“No. I’m here with Richard,” she said.

Her reply pretty much confirmed Tucker’s guess. He’d heard about the baby project from Bobby. It was the worst-kept secret in town thanks to his father’s big mouth that night at the marina.

“I haven’t heard from them. Why?” she asked.

“Nothing to worry about,” he told her. “Just cal me if you do happen to hear from any of them.”

“Wil do.”

“Sorry to interrupt whatever you were doing,” he said, unable to keep the amusement from threading through his voice.

“You should be,” she said cheerful y. “In fact, I’m going to cross Tucker off my list of potential baby names right now.”

Tucker laughed as he hung up.

“You seem awful y cheerful for a man who just hit another dead end,” Andy observed.

“You have to know the whole story,” Tucker said, not wil ing to give away any of Anna-Louise’s personal business, since there was apparently at least one person who actual y didn’t know that she and Richard had decided they wanted to have a baby. Everyone else was already starting to place bets on how quickly there would be an announcement about a pregnancy, especial y since word was that they intended to give the matter their ful attention.

“Ah, the baby plan,” Andy said at once, grinning. “How could I have forgotten? You’re right. It’s the talk of the town. I’m stil not used to the way everyone in Trinity Harbor knows absolutely everything about everybody’s personal business.”

“Except where we can find your wife, my father and Mary Elizabeth,” Tucker said. “I guess we’d better hit the road.”

Andy nodded, his smile dying. “Stay in touch.”

Tucker jogged back to his car and set off through town, systematical y going up and down al the side streets, then making another pass along Beach Drive from the northern outskirts of town al the way to the south, including several trips past Ken Wil is’s house. Nothing. Not one blessed sign of any of them or their cars, though he did pass several of his deputies in the vicinity of the Wil is place.

There was one street he hadn’t checked, he realized as he pounded the steering wheel in frustration: Primrose Lane, Daisy’s street. He’d been so certain they wouldn’t turn up there, given the way his sister felt about Mary Elizabeth. Wel , it was way past time for long shots, he thought, turning back toward town.

Relief swept over Tucker as he spotted his father’s car, Mary Elizabeth’s and Gail’s al lined up on the street in front of Daisy’s. Relief quickly gave way to anger that they hadn’t thought to fil him in on their plans to have an impromptu gathering. He had half a mind to keep right on driving, but then Andy pul ed up beside him and he was stuck. If he took off now, everyone would make way too much out of it.

“I see you had the same idea I did,” Andy said as he parked and climbed out.

“It’s certainly the last place I expected to find them, especial y Mary Elizabeth,” Tucker said.

He walked inside half-expecting to find his sister and Mary Elizabeth at each other’s throats with al the others sitting around watching the brawl.

Instead, he found something damned close to a tea party. Daisy was passing around cookies just out of the oven, his father was teasing Mary Elizabeth over some childhood shenanigan, Gail was bustling around refil ing glasses of iced tea. Even Tommy was underfoot.

“Wel , isn’t this just the picture-perfect family gathering?” Tucker commented irritably. “Guess everybody forgot to invite me.”

Andy put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. “Tucker’s just upset because he expected to find Liz waiting for him at Earlene’s.”

Mary Elizabeth had the grace to wince. “I’m sorry,” she said at once. “Your father was at the store, Daisy cal ed to see what was going on because she’d heard he was there with a rifle and the next thing you know everyone was heading over here.”

Tucker looked from his father to his sister. “I thought you two weren’t speaking to Mary Elizabeth.”

His father shrugged. “Changed my mind.”

Tucker turned to Daisy. “And you?”

“I’m withholding judgment for the time being.”

At least that was a softening in her attitude, Tucker thought, grateful that some good had come out of this mess, even if his heart was just now settling back into something akin to a normal rhythm.

“Cookie?” Daisy inquired, shoving the plate under his nose and wiggling it around so he could get the ful benefit of the aroma of the gooey chocolate chips. “It’l sweeten your mood.”

“Have one,” Mary Elizabeth encouraged, “and come over here and sit by me.”

Tucker took the cookie, but hesitated over the invitation, waiting to see what King would have to say on the subject.

“Oh, go ahead, boy. You’re too old for me to have to tel you what to do.”

Tucker chuckled despite himself. “Since when?” He slid a chair next to Mary Elizabeth and sat down warily, stil expecting an acerbic comment from Daisy at least. But beyond a slight frown, she displayed no reaction to his choice.

Within seconds the boisterous conversation around the table resumed. He touched Mary Elizabeth’s arm. “You real y okay?”

She turned to him with shining eyes. “Better than I have been in years,” she said. “I’m back with family.”