Hope White - Small Town Protector

“Are you too freaked to answer some questions?”

She handed him back the notebook. “Nope. Go for it.”

“Is this a usual thing, bringing people out here late at night?”

“It was only seven.” She planted her hands on her hips in self-defense. “I would never bring people out here if I didn’t think it was safe.”

“I wasn’t inferring—”

“I mean, I’ve been hosting the night cruises for a year now and we’ve never had any problems. People love sitting around a campfire and singing songs, roasting marshmallows and telling stories. I guess it reminds them of childhood or something. Happier times. Well, that and it’s breathtaking out here, quiet and peaceful, usually peaceful, but not so peaceful when a couple of teenagers find a dead body and—” She stopped midsentence. “Sorry.”

“For what?”

“Rambling. I do that when I’m nervous.”

“Am I making you nervous?”

“Of course you are.”

Garrett glanced up from his notepad, puzzled, and waited for her to continue her rambling. He found it…endearing. Focus, Drake.

“You’re tall and intimidating and your tone is, well, accusatory,” she said.

“Sorry.” Now she had him apologizing. “Back to my questions, do you usually bring your group to this part of the island?”

“Why shouldn’t I?”

“Miss Burns, I’m not accusing you of any impropriety.” However, he sensed that, no matter how politely he phrased his questions, he’d already put her on the defensive. He’d try a different tact. He refocused on his notebook. “Do people sign up for the tour in advance?”

“Usually, yes, although tonight I had some guy try to muscle in at the last minute.”

“Can you give me a description?”

“About sixty, five-nine or -ten, on the rotund side, with thinning brown hair and thick sunglasses. I never trust a person who won’t look me in the eye.”

Garrett instinctively looked up. “You have good instincts.”

“Wow, thanks.”

He ripped his gaze from her striking eyes and jotted down the description. “What was his demeanor?”

“Bossy, rude, maybe a little desperate.”

“Desperate?” Garrett’s hand froze on the page.

“Yeah, he had that look like if he didn’t get over here his world was going to end.”

Could it have been Red Hollow? Did he fear he hadn’t securely anchored his victim and knew he’d float to the surface prematurely? If this was the case, Lana Burns had seen him, up close.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

He glanced up and found her studying him with wide, golden-green eyes like she was reading his thoughts.

“What’s the schedule once you dock?” he asked, changing the subject.

“On day trips we spread out blankets and have a picnic, and for the night tours we roast wieners and marshmallows to make s’mores. I tell stories about the island and its history, the Nahali myth about an Indian girl who was saved from a freak storm by a fisherman and how they fell in love even though there was no way they could be together. Sometimes I’ll take the group up to Lover’s Point, usually not at night. The teenagers who found the body couldn’t resist, I guess.”

Of course not, they were young, romantic and naive.

As she rambled on, he put her in the naive category by the tone of her voice: hopeful and innocent. She had no idea of the danger she could have encountered tonight. He wasn’t sure how to tell her, or if he even should.

No, knowledge was ammunition.

“Miss Burns—”

“Lana.”

“Lana, I don’t want to alarm you, but I’m here because we’ve been tracking a serial killer.”

“I know, Morgan told me.”

Garrett glanced at Chief Wright and back to Lana.

“He’s my brother-in-law,” Lana explained.

“That’s great, but I’d rather the whole town not know about our case.”

“Uh, it’s probably too late. Small towns.” She shrugged.

Garrett took a deep breath. “At any rate, we have to consider the man you turned away tonight as a suspect.”

“You mean the serial killer?”

“Yes.”

“I doubt it.”

“Why’s that?”

“Aren’t serial killers supposed to be smart? He didn’t seem very smart, or very organized….”

Garrett sensed anxiety inspired her new round of rambling. She’d possibly been inches from a murderer. That realization would make anyone nervous.

Making direct eye contact, he touched her shoulder. “It’s okay. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”

“Really,” she said, cynicism lacing her voice.

Not the response he expected. He removed his hand. “I’m sorry, I’ve offended you again?”

“No, it’s fine. I’ve had people make promises lately and, well, never mind. What else do you need from me?” She eyed his notebook.

“Tell me about tonight, when you found the body, if it’s not too upsetting.”

“We were going to head back because of a change in the weather, but were missing two teenagers, so Sketch and I went looking for them.”

“Sketch?”

“The teenager who helps me out. I figured the kids headed up to Lover’s Point, so we came up here and heard a scream and found the couple and the dead body. That’s pretty much it.”

“You don’t seem that upset by the sight of a dead body.”

“It’s not my first.”

“Excuse me?”

“My dad. I was twelve.”

“Oh, sorry.”

Man, he kept stepping into trouble with this woman.

“But it’s weird, ya know, I mean, first the hole, then a dead body,” Lana said.

“What hole?”

“Up by Quinault Rock. Some animal or person digs a five-foot hole in the middle of an uninhabited island. What’s that about?”

Garrett glanced in the direction of the rock. “Interesting.”

“Not so interesting when you’re stuck down there for hours.”

He snapped his attention to her.

“Yes, I fell into a hole. Literally. No jokes, please.”

“I don’t joke.”

“Doesn’t surprise me.” She slapped her hand to her mouth. “I can’t believe I just said that. Sorry, I’ve been up since five and haven’t eaten anything substantial since, I don’t know, noon?”

“Why don’t you go on back to town? I’ll find you if I have more questions.”

“Great. Here’s my card.” She dug a colorful card out of her jeans pocket and passed it to him.

“Hey, Morgan,” she called. “Can I catch a ride back?”

Garrett motioned to the chief. “I’d like you to have one of your deputies escort Miss Burns back to town. I’m concerned about her safety.”

“Why?”

“She may have seen the killer.”

“Lana, you didn’t tell me—”

“It was some guy I turned away earlier tonight. It’s probably nothing.”

“Scott,” Chief Wright motioned his deputy over.

“No, Morgan, don’t,” Lana said. “I’ll be safe with Scooner.”

“I’d rather not involve civilians,” Garrett said.

“He’s a former SEAL and Town Safety captain. She’ll be safe with him.”

Garrett acquiesced. “Please ask him to escort her all the way home,” Garrett suggested.

“Will do,” the chief said. “Forensics just docked.”

Garrett nodded at Lana. “Thank you, Miss Burns.”

Lana pulled the blanket tighter around her shoulders. “Good night, Agent Drake.”

With an arm around her shoulder, Chief Wright walked her past the forensics team, who made their way up the hill to the crime scene. Garrett fought the urge to call out one last warning, to ask if she had pepper spray or suggest she stay with a family member tonight.

Not good. He had to stop letting his protective instincts distract him and focus on finding Red Hollow. He could still be here, in Port Whisper, a threat to innocents like Lana.