Dangerous Waters by Toni Anderson Page A

vulnerable now.
    “This place is a right hotbed of family drama,” said Chastain. “Like The Young and the Restless on speed.”
    “The guy was alcoholic, abusive. He should never have been allowed to raise two boys alone.” Reading those files had felt like an invasion of privacy, and she knew Finn would view it the same way. But this was her job.
    “What happened to the mother?” asked Furlong.
    “Finn—Carver—said she ran off when he was a toddler. I’m trying to trace her now.”
    “And now these two guys who seem to be surrounded by a constant stream of victims suddenly find another one?” Her boss didn’t look convinced.
    “There’s more.” She felt a little odd discussing this. She’d gotten personal with a suspect even though she hadn’t gone near any lines, let alone crossed them. Well, except for that kiss, which had caught her completely off guard and nearly knocked her off her stool. But that had been for effect, not pleasure. “Carver joined the army at eighteen and spent six years in JTF2.” Canadian Special Forces. “He left unexpectedly a couple of years ago. Didn’t give a reason, but it was around the same time a police report stated that Thomas Edgefield was in the hospital and almost died. He was severely beaten and lost a kidney. They never caught the attacker.” She didn’t mention what she’d witnessed in the bar last night. She didn’t want to admit she’d gone there alone without proper backup.
    Furlong checked his enormous watch. “I’m going to take a crack at them before I go.” He looked excited, like a little kid who’d been promised candy.
    Holly climbed to her feet. She wasn’t worried about Finn, but if Furlong handled Edgefield wrong, they’d never get another ounce of cooperation out of him. The guy would end up in an asylum.
    “You stay here, Rudd. I’ll take Corporal Messenger to give her some experience.”
    “Corporal Messenger is welcome to tag along, sir, but as primary, I insist on being there too.”
    There was momentary silence.
    Jimmy Furlong had a reputation for not being pushed, but a murder investigation was conducted by a group for a reason—to stop tunnel vision and make sure the information was properly disseminated. After a long moment, he nodded, and she had to wonder if it was because of her father or because it was the right choice.
    Regardless, she wasn’t being left out of the loop.
    They strode down to the dock, and Furlong commandeered the local water taxi to ferry them straight across the inlet. “Who the hell builds a town with the sea splitting it down the middle with no bridge or road access?” he complained to no one in particular.
    The guy driving the taxi said nothing. Holly had noticed the locals growing more and more taciturn. Maybe everyone who lived here hid a secret. It would make investigations difficult if not impossible, if they remained so closemouthed. Unless they could crack someone into a confession.
    On the other side of the inlet Furlong hurried off with Messenger in tow while Holly paid the fare. “Thanks.” She smiled.
    She looked up and there was Finn Carver leaning against the dive shed doorway, wearing a dry suit stripped to the waist and watching her closely. The sight of that muscled chest stirred things Holly wasn’t prepared to deal with. There was something about him that appealed, not just good looks, but the way he handled himself. She wasn’t one to bend the rules. Being off limits should have been enough to drown the little yearning noises her body was making. But instead, they were getting louder. Given that her last mistake was already stalking her career, she couldn’t afford another one. She jogged up the steep gravel path to catch Furlong. He was rattling the front doors of the marine lab, but they were locked.
    “Edgefield lives in a house just down that path.” She pointed down a trail that ran beside the marine lab.
    Furlong was pissed but trying hard not to show it. He strode