Dangerous Reunion (Love Inspired Suspense) (14 page)

He nodded. “That sounds good. If you find anything, call me on my cell phone, and I’ll do the same.”

“I think we should keep in touch. Let me…” Kate frowned. “What was that I heard?”

Brock shook his head. “I didn’t hear anything but the waves crashing on the shore.”

“No, listen.” They stood silent for a moment before Kate’s eyebrows arched, and she turned to him. “I heard it again. It sounds like someone calling my name.”

They turned and stared up the beach. Kate squinted and shielded her eyes from the sun. In the distance she could make out a figure running toward them. As it got closer, the image dissolved into the form of a child, and then into Emma.

Emma ran toward them, Rascal in her arms. “Kate! Kate!” she shouted. The ocean obscured the rest of what she was saying.

Kate and Brock sprinted toward her. Both reached her at the same time, but Kate grabbed Emma and hugged her. Between them, Rascal squirmed to jump out of Emma’s arms, but she held on to him.

“K-Kate, I—I—I f-found it.” Emma panted for breath, making it difficult to understand what she was saying.

Frowning, Kate knelt in front of Emma, took the child by the shoulders and held her at arms’ length. Now that Emma was safe, her fear had changed to anger. “What do you mean running off and not telling Betsy? You scared us to death.”

“It was Rascal’s fault. He ran away from me and wouldn’t come back. I called and called him, but he just ran down the beach. I had to go get him.”

Kate gave Emma a little shake. “No, you didn’t. Don’t ever go off without telling us. Do you understand?”

Tears trickled down Emma’s cheeks. “I didn’t mean to make you mad. I thought you’d be happy because I found it.”

“Found what?”

“Blackbeard’s treasure.”

Kate gasped and glanced up at Brock, who looked as perplexed as she felt. She frowned and looked back at Emma. “What are you talking about?”

Emma wiped a grubby hand across her eyes and tightened her grip on Rascal, who still tried to escape her grasp. “Rascal ran and ran. I chased him all the way to Calvin’s house, and I saw him crawl through a loose board at the bottom of Calvin’s boathouse and go inside.”

Kate scowled at Emma. “You didn’t go in Calvin’s boathouse, did you? You know how careful he is with his boat.”

Emma scrunched her eyes shut, and the tears shot out. “But I had to, Kate. I had to get Rascal. I ran around the deck of the boathouse and tried all the windows until I found one that I could slide open, and I climbed in. Rascal ran under some old blankets that were piled in the corner of the walkway around the boat slip. When I pulled them back, a box next to Rascal tipped over, and part of Blackbeard’s treasure fell out.”

Kate glanced up at Brock, and he dropped to his knees beside Emma. He put his hand on her shoulder and leaned closer. “We don’t understand, Emma. You say you found Blackbeard’s treasure. How did you know what it was?”

“Because I’ve heard Grady tell about the treasure for as long as I can remember.” Emma tilted her head to one side. “But it doesn’t really look like what Grady said. And it wasn’t like the pirate’s chest that we had in the play. It was just an old box. Rascal sat down next to it and purred, and I emptied it all out on the floor and looked through it. There was all kinds of stuff in it just like Grady told me. You know, things that a pirate would steal. There were rings, and earrings, and bracelets.”

“Did you put everything back like you found it?” Kate asked.

“Yes.”

Kate put her finger under Emma’s chin and tilted her face up. “Emma, I’ve told you and told you there isn’t a treasure. That’s just a story Grady tells the tourists. You probably found an old box of jewelry that belonged to Calvin’s mother. She died a year ago, and Calvin brought all her belongings here from her home in Virginia.” She stood and dusted the sand from the knees of her uniform. “Come on, Emma. We need to let Betsy know we found you.”

Emma hung her head and dug her toe in the sand. Her lips protruded in a pout. “It was a treasure. I know it was.” She jerked her head up, and her eyes grew wide. “Oh, no. I forgot.”

Kate had taken a step to leave, but she stopped and faced Emma. “What?”

“I tried one of the bracelets on Rascal for a collar. I forgot to put it back.”

Kate sighed and moved back to where Emma stood. “How could you do that? Now we’re really going to have to apologize to Calvin. Let me see it.”

Emma held the cat up, and Kate and Brock leaned forward to get a good look.

Brock gave a low whistle. “Wow, would you look at that. Calvin’s mother must have had some nice jewelry.”

Disbelief kicked Kate in the stomach, and her mouth gaped open. After a moment, she swallowed and glanced at Brock. “I don’t think we’re going to have to apologize to Calvin at all.”

Brock frowned. “What do you mean?”

Kate raised a trembling finger and pointed to the bracelet that circled Rascal’s neck. The emeralds and diamonds sparkled in the afternoon sun exactly like she’d imagined they would when she first saw the picture Sheriff Baxter had sent of items stolen in the mainland burglaries.

“Calvin needs to explain how a twenty-five-thousand-dollar bracelet that was reported stolen in a home robbery on the mainland found its way into his boathouse.”

Brock stared at her as if she’d lost her mind. His gaze flitted from her to the bracelet and back to her face. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

Kate patted Rascal’s head, slid her fingers down to the catch of the bracelet and unfastened it. The gems winked at her as she held the bracelet up for Brock to see. “Emma, was there a lot of jewelry in Blackbeard’s treasure?”

Emma nodded. “There was a big box full.”

Kate shook her head in silent protest. It couldn’t be true. Calvin was a trusted law enforcement officer. Thoughts of all the times she, Calvin and Doug had spent together drifted through her mind. They called themselves the Ocracoke Trio. Had Calvin been laughing at her and Doug all that time?

They had trusted Calvin completely and depended on him in dangerous situations. The thought that he might be a thief seemed too ridiculous to even entertain. Yet she held the evidence in her hand. Why would he have a stolen bracelet and, according to Emma, quite a bit more jewelry in a box in his boathouse?

Something else niggled at the back of her mind. It was a piece of information that could be important, but what was it? She wracked her brain, and it popped into her mind. She smiled at the memory of her conversation with Lisa after Doug’s death. The Lakeview Lodge on the mainland. Who had Calvin really been meeting there?

Brock touched her shoulder, and she turned to stare at him. “What are you going to do?”

She took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. “I need to get in touch with Sheriff Baxter right away and tell him to detain Calvin for questioning when the ferry docks at Swan Quarter, and also to have a deputy check out who Calvin has been meeting at the Lakeview Lodge in Swan Quarter.”

“I’ve never heard you mention the Lakeview Lodge. How does that tie in?”

“The burglaries haven’t been the work of one person. Maybe someone at that motel can tell us who Calvin has been meeting there.” She glanced at her watch. “The ferry left about thirty minutes ago. So we still have two hours before it gets to shore. If Sheriff Baxter can get me a search warrant for Calvin’s house and boathouse right away, we may find more evidence before he ever gets off that boat.”

Kate took Emma by the hand and hurried back down the beach toward their house. Her father had always told her there was nothing lower than a law officer who violated the trust the people put in him by breaking the law. She hadn’t believed that could happen to a deputy on her island, but now it probably had. The thought made her sick.

She lengthened her stride, and Emma ran to keep up with her. If Calvin was involved in the burglary ring on the mainland, he deserved everything that was about to happen to him. And the sooner the better.

F
ive hours later Brock stood beside Austin Whitman in the back room of the police station and stared at the items spread across a long table in the center. An array of watches, bracelets, rings and earrings covered half the table, while the other end held an assortment of digital cameras, video recorders and photographic equipment. A table set against the wall held power tools, media players and several laptops.

Brock took a sip of the coffee from the cup he held and chuckled. “Calvin has been a busy boy.”

The agent nodded. “Yeah, but according to Kate there are a lot of other items reported stolen that weren’t found. He must have a fence somewhere that takes this stuff off his hands.”

“Maybe Sheriff Baxter can get him to tell how he’s been getting rid of the stuff. Kate said they picked Calvin up when he drove off the ferry. They’re questioning him right now.”

Brock caught a glimpse of Kate as she walked by the open door to the room. She held her cell phone to her ear and appeared to be in deep conversation.

He wished they could get a few minutes alone to talk. So much had happened since they returned from the beach that he’d barely had a moment with her. Since his name wasn’t listed on the search warrant, he hadn’t been allowed to accompany Kate and the agents on the search of Calvin’s property. Although he’d been disappointed, he knew she was right. After all, he had no official capacity on the island, and the ATF agents did.

Kate reappeared at the door and placed her cell phone back in the clip on her belt. A big smile curled her lips. “I’ve been on the phone with Sheriff Baxter. Calvin’s in shock that he’s been arrested, and he’s scared.”

Brock chuckled and glanced at Austin. “Good. Maybe he’ll talk.”

Kate’s eyes sparkled, and she glanced from one to the other. “He already has, and what he’s said has tied up a lot of loose ends for us.”

Brock and Austin walked around the table and stopped in front of her. “Like what?” Brock asked.

“Let’s go sit in my office, and I’ll catch you up on everything.” Kate turned and walked out the door with Brock and Austin right behind.

In her office, Kate plopped down in the chair behind her desk and motioned for them to have seats. When they were settled, she leaned forward and folded her arms on the table. “Well, for starters, Sheriff Baxter had a deputy question the manager at the Lakeview Lodge before the ferry landed. The man gave descriptions of two men whom Calvin had been meeting there. One of them sounded much like Jake Morgan. The other one he described as a young man with long hair, in his early twenties, with a faint scar running across his cheek from his earlobe toward his nose.”

Brock sat up straighter. “Mike Thornton?”

Kate arched her eyebrows. “Sounds like him, doesn’t it?”

Agent Whitman frowned. “Mike Thornton? Wasn’t he supposed to help set up the fireworks display?”

Kate nodded. “He was.”

“Does Sheriff Baxter think Mike and Jake were involved with Calvin in the burglary ring?” Brock asked.

“Yes, but it gets better.” Kate’s eyes sparkled as she glanced from one to the other. “They’ve been questioning Calvin for the past two hours at the station in Swan Quarter. When they told him they knew about the meetings at the Lakeview Lodge, Calvin got really nervous and said he wanted a lawyer.”

Disappointment surged through Brock. “So he quit talking?”

Kate grinned and shook her head. “No, Calvin knows the law. He spoke with his lawyer for a while before they called Sheriff Baxter back in. The lawyer told them that Calvin would plead guilty to the burglary charges, and he could give them the name of Jake’s killer. But only if he wasn’t charged in the murder.”

Brock relaxed and glanced at Austin. “So he wanted to make a deal. Did they agree?”

Kate nodded. “The district attorney okayed it, and Calvin told the whole story. It seems that one night Calvin interrupted Jake selling drugs to Mike. When he started to arrest them, Jake told Calvin he could help him make a lot of money. He’d been doing small robberies for years, but he was ready to go bigger. The more he talked, the more interested Calvin was, and he decided he’d like some quick money, too.”

Austin leaned forward in his chair. “How does Mike Thornton figure into this?”

“He’d developed a bad cocaine problem while he was at school, and he was into Jake for a lot of money. Jake told him he could work his debt off by helping him with the robberies. So, the three of them began planning where they’d strike. With three of them working together, they could rob homes at the same time all across the county.”

Brock smiled at Kate. “Does Sheriff Baxter want you to arrest Mike for burglary?”

She shook her head. “No. He wants me to arrest him for murder and for assault on an officer.”

Brock bolted upright in the chair and stared at Kate. “Murder?”

“Yes. Calvin is willing to testify that he was present on the beach with Jake and Mike the night Jake was murdered. They were arguing because Jake had cut off Mike’s cocaine supply. Calvin turned and started back to his car when he heard a shot. He ran back and found Mike standing over Jake’s body. He’d shot him in the back. Calvin told Mike he didn’t want anything to do with murder, and he left. Later when he found out that I had been shot at on the beach, Calvin went to Mike, and Mike said he never intended to kill me. He just wanted to throw a scare into me.”

The longer Kate talked, the more concerned Brock became. “Wanted to scare you? Why?”

“Because he thinks I’ve picked on him ever since he was a teenager. He wanted to get back at me. And we know he had the opportunity to be at the beach that morning. Remember? He was late to work when the boat from the marina was stolen.”

“That’s right! And he acted so cocky out at the ferry station when you tried to question him.” Brock gave a snort of disgust. “I wonder what he’ll think when you arrest him.”

Kate bit her bottom lip, and her forehead wrinkled in thought. “I couldn’t figure out how the shooter at the beach disappeared so quickly. Now it all makes sense. Mike’s driven all over this island for years and knows every back road and path. He must have cut off on one from the main road without Doug seeing him and then driven back to town and showed up late to work at the marina.”

Austin nodded. “So Calvin decided he’d better play ball with the police and get a lighter sentence.”

“Like I said, Calvin is smart. He knows that the sentence for murder in North Carolina is life in prison with no parole, while home burglary with no one in the house is a Class G felony. The punishment for that is only four and a half years.” She grinned. “But then he’s going to have multiple charges.”

Brock shook his head. “Are you saying that it’s possible that Calvin can be out of prison in less than five years?”

Kate pushed to her feet. “That’s the law, and Calvin knew it. He denies that he and Mike are involved in the other murders on the island, though, and I believe him.” Kate adjusted her duty belt and sighed. “Now I’ve got to go arrest Mike Thornton. It’s not going to be easy. His father is going to try and stop me. Sheriff Baxter is faxing a copy of the search warrant for the Thornton house. I’m sure the judge who is signing these for us will be glad when we’re through.”

“Did you list the other two agents and me on the search warrant?” Austin asked Kate.

“I did.”

“Good. Then let’s go.” He glanced at Brock. “Detective Gentry, why don’t you join us on this one? You can’t go inside, but you can watch from the sidelines.”

Brock smiled and pushed to his feet. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

He followed Kate from her office. As they passed Lisa’s desk, he noticed that Lisa wasn’t there. He knew she had come in earlier and had heard her talking with Kate. He pointed to the dispatch area. “Where’s Lisa? I saw her earlier.”

“She went home. She’s very upset over Calvin’s arrest,” Kate responded. He waited for her to explain, but she didn’t say anything else.

When they were seated in Kate’s squad car, Brock swiveled in the seat and stared at her. “Kate, I’m glad you’ve uncovered the burglary ring and the answers to Jake’s murder. But have you thought about the fact that we still don’t know who’s been targeting you?”

She sighed and turned the ignition. “I have. Mike couldn’t have been watching from the fishing skiff that morning at the beach and shooting at me at the same time. And I saw him at the store when the fireworks truck exploded. I’ve tried to think who else it might be. Sam Burnett has a hooded sweatshirt, and Clay Phillips was nearby when the killer left a note in my car. Those suspicions aren’t enough to prove anything, though.”

Brock stared at her profile. The muscle in her jaw twitched, and he reached over and squeezed her arm. “Don’t worry. We’ll figure it out.”

She glanced down at his hand on her arm, and then her gaze drifted up to stare into his eyes. “We will, but all we can do is take care of one thing at a time. Right now I have to arrest Mike Thornton. After that, we can concentrate on finding out who has committed four murders on Ocracoke.”

He settled back in the seat and fastened his seat belt as the car pulled into the street. His heart raced at the word she’d used.
We.
It sounded as if she wanted him to help her, and the thought sent ripples of happiness through him. Together they would find this crazy killer.

Sheriff Baxter’s office had been shorthanded before all the problems on the island. Now Kate was the only deputy left. The ATF agents would be here for a few days yet as they investigated the fireworks explosion, but it might take longer than that to discover who wanted to kill Kate.

Brock glanced out the window as the car sped toward the Thornton house, and a thought that had been drifting through his mind took root. He still had several weeks of vacation left, but it didn’t matter how long it took to find this guy. He wasn’t leaving this island until he was sure that Kate was safe. Then he’d leave, but only if she wanted him to.

Out of the corner of his eye, Brock studied Kate all the way to the Thornton house. He wondered what she was thinking. There wasn’t a flicker of emotion on her face.

That was one of the things about her he’d always admired and yet at times despised. In an emergency she could respond without her personal feelings interfering. However, when they had faced their breakup six years ago, she had buried her emotions so deeply at times that he couldn’t reach her. Now she was on her way to arrest a young man she’d known ever since he was born. He wondered how she really felt about that.

She stopped the car in front of a large Victorian home and took a deep breath. “This is the Thornton home,” she said. “When I was a child, I thought this was the most beautiful house on the island. I love the gingerbread trim that gives it so much character.”

Brock didn’t know what to say. He glanced over his shoulder at the sound of another car coming to a stop. “Austin and the agents just got here.”

She started to get out of the car but frowned and turned back to him. “Brock, I appreciate all you’ve done to help me, but…”

He held up a hand and smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ll stay out of your way. I’m not about to jeopardize any evidence you find. I don’t want a defense attorney getting it thrown out because an unauthorized person joined the search.”

She smiled. “Thank you.”

They stepped from the car, and Kate led the way up the flagstone path to the house’s wraparound porch. Kate assumed an official-looking stance and knocked on the door. Within seconds Ean Thornton appeared in the doorway. He frowned as his gaze flitted over Kate and the three officers behind her. “What do you want now, Kate?”

She held up the paper in her hand. “I have a warrant for Mike’s arrest and another one to search your house, cars and any buildings on your property.”

Ean’s eyes grew wide and then clouded with dark anger. “Arrest? Have you lost your mind? You can’t come into my house and arrest my son.”

“Yes, I can, Ean. And if you don’t stand aside and let us do our duty, we’ll arrest you for obstruction of justice.”

The man glared at Kate. His fists clenched at his sides, and he pulled his shoulders back as if he would stop anyone attempting to get past him. Austin stepped up beside Kate. “Mr. Thornton, we appreciate your feelings, but we will arrest you, too, if you interfere any further.”

Ean’s face turned crimson, and his eyes bulged. Kate took a step closer, and he slumped against the wall. “Then come in, but while you’re searching, I’ll be on the phone with my lawyer.”

Brock watched as Kate and the officers disappeared into the house before he dropped down in a chair a few feet from the door. He wished he could be inside, but he really had no choice. He’d seen too much evidence thrown out by judges who ruled that search warrants had been violated.

An hour later the sound of the front door opening jerked him from the edge of sleep. He jumped to his feet and stared as Kate and Austin exited the house. Mike Thornton, his hands cuffed behind him, walked between them.

“No, you can’t do this!” Ean’s wail came from inside the house.

As the trio moved down the front steps, Ean ran from the house and stopped at the edge of the porch. Tears ran down his face. “Don’t worry, son,” he shouted. “I’ll have you out of jail by tomorrow. My lawyer’s already working on it.”

The other agents walked from the house and stepped around Ean. They carried several boxes in their hands. Brock followed them and arrived at the cars just as Austin opened the back door of his car and motioned for Mike to get in. One of the agents handed Austin the box he held, climbed in beside Mike and shut the door. The other agent and Austin walked to the back of the car, popped the trunk and placed the boxes inside.

Brock turned to Kate. “What did you find in the house?”

“We found a gun in Mike’s room, a laptop and several cameras that fit the description of stolen items. We’ll send the gun to the lab in Raleigh to determine if it’s the one that killed Jake, and we’ll check the serial numbers of the items we found to see if they match the ones on our list. We also found a rifle in the trunk of Mike’s car. Since we didn’t find any shell casings at the beach, we can’t prove it’s the one used to shoot at Grady and me. I don’t think that will be a problem because Calvin will testify that Mike told him he shot at us.”