to.”
“I saw you run past the marina. Can you not wait until daylight?”
“If I did, it would be light outside when I take my morning swim.”
“And that would be bad because…?”
I gestured toward my pile of clothes in the sand. “After daylight you get a lot more walkers.”
He stared at me for a long moment. “I think I’ll just go ahead and shoot you myself.”
I laughed out loud.
“This is not funny, Liz.”
“So, what did Merry say last night after I went back into the meeting? I bet she’s mad as fire at me. You guys cut out of there so fast I didn’t get to talk to either one of you.”
Blake rubbed the back of his neck. “She’s upset. I’m sure she’ll get over it.”
“I know enough to know she’s not being straight with me about her little project. But you know. Why won’t you tell me?”
Blake watched Rhett romp by, chasing a shorebird. “Because I know she will, eventually, and I know it’s harmless.”
“What she described to me wasn’t harmless.”
“You’ll see her tonight at dinner, right? At Mom and Dad’s? If she doesn’t tell you everything by then, I will. Fair enough?”
“Fine.” I kicked sand at his feet. I wasn’t really focused on Merry at that moment. Inside my head, a debate raged about whether to tell Blake about my intruder, and if I should show him the locket and the list. I was afraid he’d take the locket away from me, and I needed it for the time being. On the other hand, I had promised my brother I’d bring him anything I found—in exactly those words. But I hadn’t said immediately…. But the locket needed to be dusted for prints, something I couldn’t do. I sighed, resigned to handing over the evidence. Well, some of it, anyway.
“Someone broke in last night,” I said casually, “but it was a benevolent burglar. Also, I found a locket under the deck near where you believe Gram was killed.”
Blake slowly turned his head and stared at me. “What was that first thing you said?”
I’d hoped to slip that past him by distracting him with what might be critical evidence. I brought him up to speed on the intruder and the locket, but didn’t mention the list. It would be counterproductive for both of us to investigate the same folks. Besides, I didn’t know yet what it meant.
Blake’s face was three shades of red. “This is exactly what I tried to tell you. It’s not safe for you here. Dammit, at least go stay with Mom and Dad—just for a little while. ”
“Blake.” I kept my voice calm. “Whoever broke in here wasn’t trying to hurt me. He was looking for something. I am armed and quite dangerous, really. We need to know what the intruder was looking for. If I leave, we may never find out. I’m just hoping he comes back.”
He stared at me. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
I nodded.
He muttered something that sounded like freaking hot-damn mule , and looked like he wanted to spit fire. Then he just sat there shaking his head staring at the ocean. Finally, he said, “Where’s the locket?”
“Inside.”
He stood and picked up his chair. I gathered my things and called Rhett.
Blake hovered over me while I pulled the plastic bag out of the desk. I handed him a pair of latex gloves.
He slipped them on and pulled the locket out of the bag. “It could have come off when she was hit,” he said. He fiddled with the clasp. “Looks like this thing sticks. Might work sometimes and not others.”
“Look at the photo.”
He opened the locket.
“That’s for sure not Granddaddy,” I said.
“Nope, it sure isn’t.”
“But we can’t say for sure the necklace belonged to Gram. Did you ever see her wear it? ’Cause I’ve never seen it before.”
“I don’t notice stuff like that. But who else would it belong to? It’s not like she entertained down there.”
“Murder is an equal opportunity crime, Blake. It could belong to whoever killed her.”
THIRTEEN
By the time Blake left, I was starving. I
“I saw you run past the marina. Can you not wait until daylight?”
“If I did, it would be light outside when I take my morning swim.”
“And that would be bad because…?”
I gestured toward my pile of clothes in the sand. “After daylight you get a lot more walkers.”
He stared at me for a long moment. “I think I’ll just go ahead and shoot you myself.”
I laughed out loud.
“This is not funny, Liz.”
“So, what did Merry say last night after I went back into the meeting? I bet she’s mad as fire at me. You guys cut out of there so fast I didn’t get to talk to either one of you.”
Blake rubbed the back of his neck. “She’s upset. I’m sure she’ll get over it.”
“I know enough to know she’s not being straight with me about her little project. But you know. Why won’t you tell me?”
Blake watched Rhett romp by, chasing a shorebird. “Because I know she will, eventually, and I know it’s harmless.”
“What she described to me wasn’t harmless.”
“You’ll see her tonight at dinner, right? At Mom and Dad’s? If she doesn’t tell you everything by then, I will. Fair enough?”
“Fine.” I kicked sand at his feet. I wasn’t really focused on Merry at that moment. Inside my head, a debate raged about whether to tell Blake about my intruder, and if I should show him the locket and the list. I was afraid he’d take the locket away from me, and I needed it for the time being. On the other hand, I had promised my brother I’d bring him anything I found—in exactly those words. But I hadn’t said immediately…. But the locket needed to be dusted for prints, something I couldn’t do. I sighed, resigned to handing over the evidence. Well, some of it, anyway.
“Someone broke in last night,” I said casually, “but it was a benevolent burglar. Also, I found a locket under the deck near where you believe Gram was killed.”
Blake slowly turned his head and stared at me. “What was that first thing you said?”
I’d hoped to slip that past him by distracting him with what might be critical evidence. I brought him up to speed on the intruder and the locket, but didn’t mention the list. It would be counterproductive for both of us to investigate the same folks. Besides, I didn’t know yet what it meant.
Blake’s face was three shades of red. “This is exactly what I tried to tell you. It’s not safe for you here. Dammit, at least go stay with Mom and Dad—just for a little while. ”
“Blake.” I kept my voice calm. “Whoever broke in here wasn’t trying to hurt me. He was looking for something. I am armed and quite dangerous, really. We need to know what the intruder was looking for. If I leave, we may never find out. I’m just hoping he comes back.”
He stared at me. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
I nodded.
He muttered something that sounded like freaking hot-damn mule , and looked like he wanted to spit fire. Then he just sat there shaking his head staring at the ocean. Finally, he said, “Where’s the locket?”
“Inside.”
He stood and picked up his chair. I gathered my things and called Rhett.
Blake hovered over me while I pulled the plastic bag out of the desk. I handed him a pair of latex gloves.
He slipped them on and pulled the locket out of the bag. “It could have come off when she was hit,” he said. He fiddled with the clasp. “Looks like this thing sticks. Might work sometimes and not others.”
“Look at the photo.”
He opened the locket.
“That’s for sure not Granddaddy,” I said.
“Nope, it sure isn’t.”
“But we can’t say for sure the necklace belonged to Gram. Did you ever see her wear it? ’Cause I’ve never seen it before.”
“I don’t notice stuff like that. But who else would it belong to? It’s not like she entertained down there.”
“Murder is an equal opportunity crime, Blake. It could belong to whoever killed her.”
THIRTEEN
By the time Blake left, I was starving. I
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