Killer Swell by Jeff Shelby Page A

like she was as weirded out about it as you are.”
    I looked at him. “You think I’m weirded out?”
    He glanced back behind him at the waves, ignoring my question. “Finally. Here we go.”
    He was inside, so the first was his. He started paddling, his huge arms propelling him through the water, as the wave picked him up and carried him away.
    I shifted so I was facing the beach again and moved my arms easily through the water. I felt the wall of water sweep in behind me and lift me up. I popped up on the board and my stomach dropped with excitement as I skimmed down the face of the wave, my back to the beach as I moved down the fall line at the bottom of the wave. I shifted my weight and used my right foot to snap the board back into the wave and through the lip at the top, the white water and salt spraying my face. I came back down and zigzagged for another ten feet or so before the wave died and disappeared.
    I dropped to my stomach and swiveled around, heading back out to the break. I felt Carter paddle up on my right.
    â€œYeah, I think you’re weirded out about it,” he said.
    I was, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to hide it. I had spent the night with the older sister of my dead ex-girlfriend, whose murder I was supposed to be investigating. I was very close to becoming Jerry Springer material.
    We paddled back out, side by side.
    â€œHow does this change your assignment?” Carter said.
    â€œI don’t know that it does.”
    â€œJust asking.”
    Other than making things awkward between Emily and myself, I didn’t think it would affect looking into Kate’s death. Emily and I both wanted the same thing with that.
    It was what Emily and I wanted with each other that I wasn’t sure of.

23
    â€œLet me see the key.”
    An hour later, we were in my living room, both in dry clothes, and Carter was sitting on the couch.
    I grabbed the key off the counter and tossed it to him.
    He held it in his palm and flipped it over a couple of times. “You sure it doesn’t belong to Emily’s heart?”
    â€œYou sure you don’t want me to kick you in the ear?”
    He snorted. “She knows it was Kate’s?”
    â€œNo. She knows Kate left it at her place before she went to the hotel.”
    â€œCan I hang on to it? I know a guy who might be able to get you something on it.”
    I looked at him. “You know an expert on keys?”
    â€œSomething like that.”
    I shook my head, surprised that I was surprised. “Yeah. Have at it.”
    He closed it in his palm and nodded in the direction of the kitchen. “Message on the machine for you.”
    â€œDid you listen to it?”
    â€œOf course. I had to come in and get something to eat before I hit the water. I saw the blinking light and couldn’t resist.”
    â€œThen tell me what the message is.”
    He made a face. “But then I’d feel like your secretary or something.”
    â€œYou need to do something to earn your keep.”
    â€œI don’t live here.”
    â€œFooled me.”
    He pointed at the machine. “It’s that cop you used to sleep with.”
    Or, as her colleagues called her, Detective Santangelo.
    â€œWhat did she say?” I asked.
    â€œWants you to call her.”
    I looked at the phone, hoping it didn’t work. “Right away?”
    â€œAs always.”
    I went over and picked up the phone, frowned when I got a dial tone. I hit the machine, listened to Liz’s very serious voice, and dialed the number she’d left.
    She answered on the first ring. “Santangelo.”
    â€œBraddock,” I fired back.
    She paused for a moment, maybe trying to figure out who it was or maybe not finding me funny. Hard to tell.
    â€œI need you to come in,” she said.
    â€œFrom out of the rain?”
    She sighed heavily. “Noah. I’m not screwing around. Will you come down?”
    â€œDepends.