Dangerous Waters by Toni Anderson Page B

off, making Messenger trot to keep up. Holly pinched her lips tight. She was allowed an opinion, but obviously she wasn’t allowed to openly argue with the team commander. She should have known better.
    One more hour and he’d be gone. Hold that thought. It couldn’t be soon enough.
    The three of them trekked along the path, down some stone steps to a low, modern-looking building. Furlong pounded on the door, and after a few moments, a weary-looking Edgefield emerged in a pair of blue-striped pajamas. His eyes were instantly drawn to her even though Furlong was the one talking to him.
    “Thomas Edgefield?”
    Thomas rubbed his eyes beneath his glasses and tilted his head to meet Furlong’s purposeful stare. “What can I do for you?”
    “We have some more questions for you.”
    Edgefield laughed self-consciously. “It can’t wait until I’m dressed?”
    “It’ll only take a moment.” Furlong brushed him aside and entered his home without being invited. Edgefield looked at her and Corporal Messenger. “You’re like buses. Wait a lifetime for one and then three show up at once.”
    Corporal Messenger gave him a sweet smile. Holly kept her expression neutral. Furlong was on the warpath; she was going to have to watch her step.
    “You know Sergeant Rudd.” Furlong stood impatiently in the hallway, ignoring the man’s outstretched hand. “This is Corporal Messenger, and I’m Staff Sergeant Furlong. I’m in charge of this investigation.”
    Edgefield shot a look at Holly, which she ignored. He nodded politely, his shoulders gaining that slightly hunched appearance, his hair sticking out at Einsteinian angles. They followed him into the front room, which had huge floor-to-ceiling windows with an incredible view of the Broken Islands all the way across to Ucluelet.
    “Please, sit down.” The professor sat heavily in an armchair before a fire that burned in the hearth.
    She and Corporal Messenger both sat cautiously on the edge of a sofa.
    Furlong remained standing. “Why didn’t you mention the beating that happened two years ago?”
    Edgefield blinked like an owl behind wire-rimmed specs. “I didn’t mention the time I broke my ankle tripping over a pair of rubber boots either.” His voice sharpened. “Because I didn’t think it would be relevant.”
    “We decide what’s relevant, not you.” Furlong’s attitude was grim and threatening. He was playing bad cop but without any real direction. Holly believed in leaning on a suspect when the evidence backed them up, but it was dubious with a person this unstable.
    “Tell me what happened when you were attacked,” Furlong ordered.
    Edgefield leaned back in his chair. His skin had taken on a scarlet tinge. Embarrassment? Shame? High blood pressure?
    A voice startled them all.
    “He can’t tell you.” Finn Carver strode quickly into the room. “He doesn’t remember anything.” He’d stripped off the dry suit and pulled on jeans and a faded T-shirt that said TRUST NO ONE. “He walked down to the bar one night and someone beat the living shit out of him. He has no recollection of the event itself. The cops failed to collect evidence at the scene or in the hospital. No one was ever caught.”
    Finn was insinuating, not for the first time, the RCMP was incompetent. Holly bristled instinctively, and yet so far they had failed to do much for Thomas Edgefield.
    “Mr. Carver, you weren’t invited to this interview.” Furlong looked at him long and hard. “I suggest you leave.”
    Finn walked over to an easy chair and flopped into it. “You weren’t invited either, pal, so unless it’s a formal interview I’m staying. If it is formal then Thom isn’t saying another word until his lawyer arrives.”
    “Lawyer?” Thom blinked.
    “Is that right? Makes it look like he has something to hide.” Furlong moved toward Finn, trying to get into his head. If Finn lashed out in any way, Furlong would take him down. Holly couldn’t take her eyes off