Storm Surge. Celia Ashley

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СКАЧАТЬ a shoulder in dismissal. “I didn’t mean anything. Sorry.”

      Liam shook his head. “It’s fine. I have to get going.”

      “Want something to drink? I have…well, bottled water is all I have right now. I need to get to the grocery store.” She laughed, trying her best to make it not sound as though she’d invited him for something more.

      “It’s late,” he said. But he didn’t move.

      She met his gaze dead on, trying to figure him out. She’d never met a man she couldn’t sum up in about two seconds. No, that wasn’t true. She’d never bothered with a man she couldn’t sum up in two seconds. There was a vast difference. That practice said a lot about herself she didn’t like. The fact she was still contemplating Liam said even more about him.

      Her breath rushed out. “You’re right. It is. I won’t keep you.”

      He nodded, the cat in his arms purring loudly. “How long do you plan on sticking around?”

      “I cashed out my savings and took a leave of absence. I need answers to many things in my life.”

      He nodded. “Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

      “You’ll see me tomorrow.”

      Her skin warmed. She followed him in silence to close the door behind him. Standing a moment on the threshold, she allowed the breeze off the water to dry the tiny perspiration drops from her brow as he walked away. Down by the water’s edge, a soft glow caught her eye. She turned. A light bobbed at the height of a man’s hand at his side, as if someone carried a lantern.

      Paige stepped out for a better look, pulling the door shut to block the light from inside. Yes, someone was there, moving at the surf’s edge. The lantern cast a golden glow over a man’s left side as he strode in a straight line toward the far side of the beach. Nearer, she could hear Liam as he made his way homeward, his thunderous voice subdued in one-sided conversation with Shadow. Didn’t he see the man? But he continued speaking to the cat, unperturbed. A neighbor, she supposed. Not an outsider, like her.

      * * * *

      Paige headed back to town in the morning armed with her list of residents. Maybe, with the earlier hour, she would find some of them at home. And if these didn’t pan out, she’d go to where people hung out and ask general questions there. Somewhere she’d find a lead. If not, she would speak to Liam.

      First, though, she needed a blasted cup of coffee.

      Yesterday she’d spotted a place called the Caffeine Café and headed there. Standing in line at the coffee shop, Paige eavesdropped on the conversations around her in blatant curiosity. For thirteen years, this town had been her home. She might very well have been acquainted with certain patrons, but doubted she would recognize them now. People changed in time’s passage, teenage boys even more than girls. Still, something in the dialogue around her could strike a chord of memory.

      At the register, she ordered a large coffee and paid, taking a welcome swig as soon as the kid behind the counter handed the cup to her. She held the spiral tablet in her other hand and flipped it open while turning around. Someone jostled her elbow. The notebook fluttered to the floor.

      “Here, let me get that.”

      Paige caught a glimpse of a police uniform and close-cropped sandy hair as the man who had spoken stooped to pick up the notebook. It had fallen open to the list, and she could see him browsing over the names as he stood. She held out her hand, palm up to hasten the notebook’s return. “Thank you.”

      The man—badge pinned to a shirt strained by the bulletproof vest beneath—hesitated before dropping the pad across her fingers. Despite her annoyance at the officer’s inquisitiveness, she realized an opportunity had fallen into her lap.

      “Are you on duty?” she asked. “I need some information and I—Dan? Dan…Stauffer?”

      He frowned. “Yes. Do I know you?”

      Probably not, she thought, but plunged on. “I’m Paige Waters. You were a couple of years ahead of me in school. I was a freshman when you were a senior.”

      Her last year spent at Alcina Cove High, she hadn’t finished the semester out, ending up in a place midyear where she knew no one. If she remembered correctly, Dan had always considered himself a charmer. She’d been too young and unexceptional to catch his eye, but with recognition she also recalled the stories of his reputation as a ladies’ man.

      “Paige Waters? Oh, right, you and your mother left town rather abruptly. Don’t remember the reason why, though. Something personal, I heard.”

      Stunned he had recalled her that quickly, Paige eased past the congestion at the counter. With a gesture that Dan should join her, she headed for a table and took a seat. Stauffer followed. He sat across from her and leaned his forearms on the tabletop.

      “You said you needed some information. What’s up?”

      Now that she’d come to it, Paige wasn’t sure where to begin. She could sense him sizing her up and she wondered if his womanizing behavior had persisted all these years later. Paige spun the coffee cup between her palms in a slow circle on the table, feeling the liquid’s heat through the thick paper.

      “My mom passed away almost three years ago. And then I received a letter from an attorney in January of this year notifying me my dad had passed away, too. I think it took a while for the attorney to locate me. My dad had no property, nothing to pass on. He’d had a house—our house—but I found out he’d sold it. The notification just said he died at sea. I don’t know the exact circumstances. I tried researching online but, oddly enough, couldn’t find anything. I came back to find out what I can about his life, and my mom’s, too. Perhaps you might be able to give me some assistance?”

      Dan shifted in his seat, his vest creaking, handcuffs on his belt clanking against the metal tubing of the chair. “I don’t get it. What do you hope to accomplish, digging around like this?”

      “I beg your pardon?”

      “Don’t get me wrong. I’m not trying to dissuade you. I’m just trying to understand what you want me to look into. Do you think they were involved in something the police would know about?”

      The paper cup jerked in Paige’s grip.

      Keep your mouth shut, Paige.

      But Mom...

      “Of course not. I thought you might have some way to uncover more details about my father’s death. I don’t even know where his ship went down.”

      Considering her a moment, Dan finally nodded. “Makes sense. What was his name again?”

      “Waters, same as mine. First name Edwin.”

      “Okay. I’ll see what I can do.” Wheels turned visibly in his expression. She guessed he’d already begun formulating ideas as to why she wanted to know. During her final days, Debra Waters, in her delirium, had hinted all had not been as she’d let on since their flight from Alcina Cove. There had to be a reason Paige’s father had written her from his life. Maybe he plain hadn’t cared enough to do otherwise once he’d driven his wife away. Or possibly some of Debra Waters’ ramblings hadn’t solely been СКАЧАТЬ