Last Chance Harbor (16 page)

“Should’ve known I’d find you around the food.”

“Try one of these pastry things,” Troy offered, pointing to the sausage pinwheels. “Jordan calls them canapés. They’re tiny but tasty. Did you get a beer?”

“Not yet,” Ryder said, picking up a paper plate and filling it with an assortment of appetizers. He’d barely gotten the words out of his mouth when his host handed him a bottle of summer ale.

“How’s it going?” Nick asked.

“Good. Nice turnout for the teacher.”

“Isn’t it though?”

“Ethan was just telling me about an island around here.”

“It’s known affectionately as Treasure Island, not much to it though, but it’s a must-see for a newcomer or a boatload of tourists. You want to go out sometime, let us know. We added another dinghy so more than one guest can launch from the cove below the cliff. Both have motors. The skiffs will get you there and back without a problem.”

Ryder noticed Troy looked like he was deep in thought. “What’re you thinking?”

Troy scratched his chin. “That maybe Nick might need someone to ferry guests back and forth during the busy season.”

“We’ve been thinking about bringing someone on to do just that. Many of our guests aren’t experienced with boats, yet they want to visit the island they can see from their rooms. Add in the fact that Ethan made the shipwreck famous in his book and we’ve created interest. It’d be great if someone could take advantage of the opportunity and start a cottage industry. These days the bank has changed. I’m always looking to provide opportunity to the locals. You know anyone?”

“I might.” Troy was thinking about Bree and what she could do after graduation. It might prevent her from moving off to the big city. “What would something like that pay?”

“Pay? They’d own their own excursion business. For the right person, the bank would front the money for startup.”

“A business loan?” Troy said, intrigued by the idea.

“That’s right. In addition to trips to Treasure Island and the shipwreck, they could add to their services by taking tourists on hikes around the area. During the summer months, we have dozens of guests asking who in town can take them sightseeing. We routinely have to turn them down. Jordan and I are just too busy to act as tour guides. But there’s money to be made in the effort.”

“So it would be full-time?”

“Definitely a full-time proposition, although the load would taper off somewhat during the winter months, like now. The right person, a go-getter, could make enough money during the busy season.”

“Anyone have claims on one of those rafts tomorrow?” Troy wanted to know. “I’d like to take Bree over to the island.”

“I’ll write it down in the reservation book.” Looking around the room, Nick asked both men, “Have you seen our guest of honor yet?”

Ryder had purposely not wanted to ask where she was. But Nick had no sooner gotten the words out of his mouth when Julianne walked into his range of view. Across the room, she was in a conversation with two other women he recognized as Hayden Cody and Keegan Bennett.

As if she knew he was thinking about her, Julianne looked right at him. The classy little black dress she had on didn’t exactly bring to mind the word, “schoolteacher.” In fact, the outfit had him realizing how long it had been since he’d had a woman. It was hard to believe the vision in front of him making her way through the throng had anything to do with teaching first grade. He imagined slipping the sexy fabric off her shoulders and nibbling his way up to the velvet choker she wore around her neck.

“Ryder, are you okay? Your face looks sorta funny,” Julianne said once she reached him. She took his face in one hand, the one that wasn’t holding a glass of white wine and turned it side to side. “Do you need water?”

Did he? He wasn’t sure of anything at the moment. His mouth did feel dusty as a ball of lint. He finally untied his tongue so he could string a few words together. “You look amazing.”

“Thanks. I feel amazing. Look at this gathering. I’m not sure I’ve ever had anyone throw me this kind of party with this kind of turnout.” She grabbed his arm. “Landon agreed to sell me the house on Ocean Street. It should close in a couple weeks.”

She ticked off a list of things that needed the most work. “You wouldn’t believe how many people in this room have offered to help me fix it up.” Leaning closer, she murmured, “I heard a rumor that Perry Altman’s new partner is thinking about opening a winery here in town.”

“I heard it was a brewery,” Ryder added with a wink.

Troy chuckled. “You know what I’d like to open?”

“What?”

“I’d like to make my own line of surfboards, sell them out of a little shop along the waterfront.”

Ryder took a sip of his beer. “I’d open a boatbuilding business.”

Intrigued, Julianne offered up a suggestion. “You both should talk to Nick then. During the week he’s the banker and he’s looking for people with a vision, a dream. You know, to bring new life into the town.”

“Wouldn’t do me any good,” Troy lamented. “I’m not exactly rolling in dough.”

Ryder slapped him on the back. “You and me both.”

“Well, I still think both of you should talk to Nick. The people in this room make me realize there’s such an overwhelming generosity of spirit here.” She turned to Troy, slipped her free arm through his. “And this big guy tops the list. He’s one of those who offered to help remodel my house.”

“It’s nothing,” Troy said, self-conscious. “I’m not as busy as most other people are.”

“Your offering to help is most definitely something. It’s very thoughtful and kind. And I appreciate it.”

To get the focus off himself, Troy changed the subject. “I heard Logan rented out the keeper’s cottage at the lighthouse.”

“Another newcomer? Cool, I won’t be the only one now,” Julianne reasoned. “When do they get here? Maybe they have children.”

The temptation of a little gossip was too much for Troy. “It’s a woman. And I don’t think she has kids. She’s a former ballet dancer. I heard she knows Logan from his travels in Europe, Rome I think. Or maybe it was Madrid. Anyway, I heard she wants to open a dance studio.”

“Here in town? What a fantastic idea,” Julianne said. “Oh, I hope she does. We could hold the recitals in the auditorium at school.”

Ryder searched out the faces in the crowd to get a glimpse of his boss. “Where is Logan tonight?”

“Doc Prescott put Kinsey on bed rest until the twins arrive. That’s what Hayden and Keegan were just telling me when I asked the same question.”

Looking out into the faces of the crowd, she spotted Brent next to the piano with his wife. She leaned into Ryder and breathed, “There’s something I need to talk to our police chief about. Want to come with me? It’s about the box Troy found.”

“Sure.”

They got the horde to part like the Red Sea so they could get through to the living room. “Hi Brent, River,” Julianne said in greeting. “When you get the chance I’d like to talk to you about that item you picked up the other night.”

Brent nodded and directed the three to a more secluded spot where they could hear each other talk. They took off for the kitchen, gathered around the island. It was Brent who said, “I got the tests back from the lab yesterday. The fabric tested positive for human blood.”

Julianne had expected as much. But it was Ryder who asked, “Any idea who this box might’ve belonged to? Any unsolved murders in the area?”

“None that got reported. Besides, I’m not convinced a murder occurred. Yet. I’d say the key to solving this thing though is finding out who owns the box.”

Julianne mulled that over. “Originally I thought it might belong to a child. But now… What circumstances would allow a child to have that kind of evidence in his possession? I shudder to even consider a situation like that. What will you do, Brent?”

“Keep checking it out until I find answers. In the meantime, I did discover in old town records that Andrew Richmond, the name on the property deed, used to own a hobby store on Main Street, specializing in trains. His son, Layne, worked for him. Layne Richmond just happens to be the husband of Eleanor Jennings.”

“Whoa, really? That would make him the father of Cooper, Caleb and Drea Richmond or rather Jennings now.”

“That’s right. The thing is he ran off with a schoolteacher by the name of Brooke Caldwell. She taught third grade here back when the school was active. I’d like to tell you I’ll be able to return the contents of the box to you…”

“But you can’t,” Julianne finished. “It’s okay. When we discussed putting it on display we never considered it might be essential to solving a mystery.”

“This whole thing’s been driving Brent crazy for three days,” River admitted.

Ryder looked at Brent. “Are you certain Layne Richmond ever left town? Because the deed is a direct connection to him. Why would it be in the box otherwise?”

“That was the gossip around town at the time. Layne and Brooke fell in love, ran off together. I’m going through records to check both of their socials and driver’s licenses now. I won’t offer any theories until I see if their social security numbers have been used over the years.”

“All I know is this,” River said. “I deal in old bones, remains, and one look at that piece of shirt told me that whoever had it on lost his life wearing it. That’s my gut feeling. My team’s run across enough buried bodies before with tattered, bloody clothing either draping the bones or found nearby. That’s what comes to mind with this shirt. Add to that, why would someone save a saturated piece of cloth like that? Saving it because of a bloody nose makes absolutely no sense to me unless that person died of it.”

“Didn’t the Zodiac killer do something similar?” Ryder offered. “Keep a bloody piece of cloth from one of his victims?”

Brent nodded. “Maybe I should sit down with Knudsen after all and see if he’ll offer up any details.”

“Wouldn’t it be worth a conversation with him for that alone?” Julianne speculated. “The bloody shirt has obviously been in that box for years. Or… Could Brooke have done something to him? Maybe the man refused to leave his wife and the girlfriend got fed up with waiting—”

“Guessing won’t do us much good,” Brent interrupted. “At least not until I get a few answers. Who knows, maybe he and Brooke took off for parts unknown and live happily to this day on some island getaway?”

“But you don’t really believe that, do you?” Ryder asked.

Brent grinned. “Not a word. But I have to consider all angles. I can’t prevent gossip from popping up and adding to the equation though.”

At that, Julianne turned to River. “It must be fascinating to do what you do, to travel all over the world to do it. The places you must’ve seen digging up old artifacts.”

“I could show you slides from around the globe but you’d be bored within five minutes. Besides, my traveling days are over. Since we’re wrapping up this dig on the dunes, all I’m waiting for are the permits to come in so that we can start renovating the building across from the marine center.”

“I’ll be the first one to line up for a tour. My grandmother on my mother’s side was Chumash. She’d tell me fascinating stories about her ancestors, the way they lived and worked. Is it okay to come by the site sometime before you shut it down?”

“You bet. Stop by anytime.”

After Brent and River disappeared through the swinging door to rejoin the party, Ryder captured Julianne’s hand, tugged her out the back door to the terrace. Under the twinkling glow of stars, they walked along the garden path among budding lavender and jasmine.

“I didn’t know your grandmother was Chumash.”

“Santa Ynez Band. She was a teacher, too.”

“Even though your father divorced her daughter…?”

“Pop encouraged me to visit her. My mother found her boring but I thought my grandmother was a treasure. Come to think of it, I guess my mother found most everything around here not to her liking, including the man she married and the little girl she left behind.”

“Do you have any idea where she went?”

“Gran got a postcard from her from Florida about five years back, needing money, of course. Do you mind if we talk about something else?”

“Sure. You haven’t once said a word about our kiss last night.”

She sent him a roll of her eyes. “I didn’t know I was supposed to alert the media. Like you, I relish my privacy.”

“That’s what I like to hear.” He captured her waist, spun her into his arms. A breath away from her lips, he muttered, “If only we had music.”

“I hum a mean rendition of
Somewhere over the Rainbow
.”

“Excellent selection,” he said, nuzzling her jaw.

They swayed back and forth to a Hawaiian beat until their mouths met, putting an end to the humming. A surge of heat speared its way upward as they found another kind of rhythm.

Abruptly, she ended the kiss. “I have to think about you.”

“Why?”

“Because right now I need to get back inside. It seems rude that we’re necking at my own party.”

“I get the hint. We’ll postpone this till after.”

“Then what? Meet up in the parking lot? It’s been a long time… Deal.”