heart thumped. What a woman she was. He’d never rescued anyone who had smiled at him while swinging above heavy seas.
“She was a trooper. And she rescued the box that we think is a clue to what’s going on. Speaking of which…” He handed the box to Terry. “Shall we see what this box is all about?”
While they examined the box, Amelie gave her statement to Jeff Jessup and sketched the tattoo that she’d seen on her assailant’s leg. Jeff admired the clarity of Amelie’s drawing and then his voice changed.
“You were incredibly lucky. This was attempted murder, Amelie.”
Arne focused on Amelie and reached for her as her face paled. “No way are you going back alone to that isolated cabin.”
Jeff handed her a pen and the printout of her statement. “You could stay in town. My wife would be happy to make up a bed for you at our place. I’ll give her a call if you like.”
Amelie considered his offer. “That’s very kind of you but–”
“Thanks, Jeff, but Amelie should come back to my place. We’ve got a few things to talk about.” He poured a coffee and carried it to her, pausing to brush his knuckles over her cheek.
“Thank you.” She sipped her coffee and then wandered to the sofa, picking up a magazine. He doubted she noticed what she was looking at.
Forcing his attention back to Jeff, Arne gave his statement.
“We believe Sanderson sabotaged our tests. He wants the results to show no harm will come to the reef from his project.”
Jeff looked up expectantly. “Can we link him to this box?”
“We’ve got to check the supplier of a couple of these specialized parts, but we believe there’s little doubt about his involvement. The cost of setting up such an elaborate system would be beyond most people.”
Jeff paused in his note-taking. “But you don’t believe he carried out the actual sabotage?”
“No. He hires others to do his dirty work for him. But he’s guilty, whether or not it was his hand that cut Amelie’s air hose. And I’m going to find the proof. I don’t know who Amelie’s attacker was, but by God, when I find him…”
* * * *
The waning moon was high over the sea when Arne and Amelie turned into his driveway. Amelie stifled a yawn.
“Are you hungry?” Maybe he’d leave that talk for now.
“Not very. Maybe a toasted cheese sandwich?”
He pulled the fixings for their simple meal from the fridge, and quickly made some sandwiches He flipped the first cooked one onto her plate.
Holding the toasted triangle in two fingers, she nibbled a corner. “So what happens now–with Sanderson?”
“I have to fly to Honolulu in the morning and touch base with the Federal Police. Currently, the way we manage our reefs means there are several departments whose jurisdiction is involved, so I’ll contact each of them about developments here. And I should attempt to trace the supplier of a couple of the specialized component parts of that box you rescued while I’m there.”
She aimed a light kick at his shin which he avoided by grabbing her ankle. Pretty pink toe nails tipped bare, slim feet. He rubbed her instep. She gave a sexy little groan, and wriggled her other foot up for his attention. “Heaven!”
He grinned and obliged. “This would send me crazy. I can’t bear anyone touching my feet.” As a distraction, it was working very well.
“This is my new favorite form of massage. Actually, it feels quite sensuous.”
“Let me file that away for future reference. Seriously though, I’ll probably be away a couple of nights. You could stay with Lili. Her husband, Kevin, will be there at night. You shouldn’t be on your own.” He couldn’t voice his fear of anything else happening to her. Pressing his thumbs into the ball of her foot, he continued slowly massaging.
“And Lani said you can sleep there while I’m in Honolulu. She told me to tell you she’s got a spare bed in her room just waiting for you!”
“Great,” she mumbled, huskiness
“She was a trooper. And she rescued the box that we think is a clue to what’s going on. Speaking of which…” He handed the box to Terry. “Shall we see what this box is all about?”
While they examined the box, Amelie gave her statement to Jeff Jessup and sketched the tattoo that she’d seen on her assailant’s leg. Jeff admired the clarity of Amelie’s drawing and then his voice changed.
“You were incredibly lucky. This was attempted murder, Amelie.”
Arne focused on Amelie and reached for her as her face paled. “No way are you going back alone to that isolated cabin.”
Jeff handed her a pen and the printout of her statement. “You could stay in town. My wife would be happy to make up a bed for you at our place. I’ll give her a call if you like.”
Amelie considered his offer. “That’s very kind of you but–”
“Thanks, Jeff, but Amelie should come back to my place. We’ve got a few things to talk about.” He poured a coffee and carried it to her, pausing to brush his knuckles over her cheek.
“Thank you.” She sipped her coffee and then wandered to the sofa, picking up a magazine. He doubted she noticed what she was looking at.
Forcing his attention back to Jeff, Arne gave his statement.
“We believe Sanderson sabotaged our tests. He wants the results to show no harm will come to the reef from his project.”
Jeff looked up expectantly. “Can we link him to this box?”
“We’ve got to check the supplier of a couple of these specialized parts, but we believe there’s little doubt about his involvement. The cost of setting up such an elaborate system would be beyond most people.”
Jeff paused in his note-taking. “But you don’t believe he carried out the actual sabotage?”
“No. He hires others to do his dirty work for him. But he’s guilty, whether or not it was his hand that cut Amelie’s air hose. And I’m going to find the proof. I don’t know who Amelie’s attacker was, but by God, when I find him…”
* * * *
The waning moon was high over the sea when Arne and Amelie turned into his driveway. Amelie stifled a yawn.
“Are you hungry?” Maybe he’d leave that talk for now.
“Not very. Maybe a toasted cheese sandwich?”
He pulled the fixings for their simple meal from the fridge, and quickly made some sandwiches He flipped the first cooked one onto her plate.
Holding the toasted triangle in two fingers, she nibbled a corner. “So what happens now–with Sanderson?”
“I have to fly to Honolulu in the morning and touch base with the Federal Police. Currently, the way we manage our reefs means there are several departments whose jurisdiction is involved, so I’ll contact each of them about developments here. And I should attempt to trace the supplier of a couple of the specialized component parts of that box you rescued while I’m there.”
She aimed a light kick at his shin which he avoided by grabbing her ankle. Pretty pink toe nails tipped bare, slim feet. He rubbed her instep. She gave a sexy little groan, and wriggled her other foot up for his attention. “Heaven!”
He grinned and obliged. “This would send me crazy. I can’t bear anyone touching my feet.” As a distraction, it was working very well.
“This is my new favorite form of massage. Actually, it feels quite sensuous.”
“Let me file that away for future reference. Seriously though, I’ll probably be away a couple of nights. You could stay with Lili. Her husband, Kevin, will be there at night. You shouldn’t be on your own.” He couldn’t voice his fear of anything else happening to her. Pressing his thumbs into the ball of her foot, he continued slowly massaging.
“And Lani said you can sleep there while I’m in Honolulu. She told me to tell you she’s got a spare bed in her room just waiting for you!”
“Great,” she mumbled, huskiness
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