Sail With Me (5 page)

Delaney’s mind was racing.
 
She had so many questions but knew Chris wouldn’t be able to answer all of them.
 
“So, if every possible location was searched, what do you think happened to the body?”

Chris began ringing his hands and wiping them on his thighs and he continued, “I helped search the landfill, the sky overhead was filled with seagulls and rats the size of cats were everywhere.
 
I can’t help but think …”

Delaney interrupted, “That’s enough, I get the picture and now I’m sorry I asked.”
 
As Chris lowered his head back into his hands all Delaney could think of was all the unanswered questions.
  
Her instinct told her Andrew was alive.

Chapter Eight

The next few days flew by.
 
Every morning Delaney was up and out the door for her morning run by six o’clock.
 
She spent her days scouring reports for any information that may have been missed or overlooked.
 
Working on her personal laptop she made a list of questions, assumptions, and possibilities.
 
She found it unbelievable that nobody from law enforcement ever interviewed Caroline.
 
Chris had told Delaney that the possibility of questioning her was discussed but nothing ever came of it.
 
There wasn’t anybody in the department who felt comfortable enough to approach the woman and ask questions about her dead child.
 
As she learned more of what was done and not done she became livid.
 
In the original report, Delaney came across the name Jake Thrasher, FBI Special Agent.
 
A phone number with a Philadelphia area code was listed in parentheses next to it and Delaney added it to her list.
 
Then she got up and went to the break room.
 
She grabbed a Diet Coke and a container of organic French vanilla yogurt to eat at her desk.
 
She opened her top drawer and pulled out a banana to dip in the yogurt.
 
This was one of the few times she was grateful to work with all men.
 
None of them ever touched her food.

After her lunch, she placed a call to Special Agent Jake Thrasher.
 
She was surprised when he answered on the first ring.
 
He introduced himself in a deep sexy bedroom voice as just Thrasher, and Delaney was certain she was speaking to a midget on the other end.
 
After a brief introduction, she explained her concerns about the case of Caroline O’Sullivan.
 
Thrasher interrupted only to ask an occasional question, so Delaney took that as permission to discuss her thoughts on other possibilities.
 
She was impressed with his attentiveness and attention to detail and they agreed to meet the following morning at her office.

When Delaney returned home that evening, she quickly changed into a light pink tank top and matching shorts.
 
After adjusting her ponytail in the mirror she reached for Fetch’s leash and headed towards the beach.
 
Her bag was filled with tennis balls, two water bottles, the plastic cup from Mike, and a small first aid kit.
 
Fetch knew the walk so well that it was more like the dog was walking her and not the other way around.
 
She sat on the beach throwing balls into the water and Fetch brought back every single one.
 
Covered in dog slobber and mud, Delaney felt happier and stronger then she had felt in years.
 
She knew what she had to do when she got home and already had a plan.

Clearing space on her kitchen table, she dumped out all the contents of her Coach bag and searched until she found the anonymous letter and photograph she received when she was still married to Kevin.
 
It was a picture of Kevin in bed with two other women, one being her ex best friend, Kate Van Buren.
 
She didn’t recognize the other woman in the photo but noticed the tattoo below her navel that said “LICK ME” with an arrow pointing south.
 
Kevin was looking directly into the camera with the look of a panting dog.
 
The picture was stapled to a hastily written letter.

Dear Delaney, I hate to be sending you this but I wanted you to know I’ve been screwing your husband and your best friend for a year now.
 
The sex has been fantastic and it’s a shame you’re too frigid of a woman to give Kevin what he really wants. Shame on you! If you change your mind, just let Kevin and Kate know and we’ll consider letting you into our club. Haha!

Delaney took the letter and photo then scanned them into her laptop.
 
She googled hotmail and created a new e-mail address using fictitious information. Then she imported her address book and scrolled through the names, clicking on her ex mother-in-law first and Kate next.
 
In the subject line she typed in “pics of Kevin” to assure the women would open it up.
 
Then she methodically cc’d it to everyone who attended their wedding, including her best friend Kate and all of Kate’s family, even her husband.

When that was done, she rummaged through the junk drawer in her kitchen for a pack of matches.
 
They were the long ones she used in the winter to start her fireplace.
 
Finally she walked out back and placed the evidence on top of her BBQ and closed the lid.
 
She cranked open the propane tank as high as it would go and listened to the hissing sound it made for a few seconds.
 
Feeling confident, she lit the match and quickly pushed it through the small predrilled hole on the side of the grill.
 
There was an instant pop and the lid lifted up some before settling back into the closed position.
 
Delaney sat in her chair listening to the frogs until the tank went empty.
 
Afterwards she went to bed and awoke feeling ten years younger.

Chapter Nine

The next morning she jumped out of bed and turned off her clock ten minutes before it was set to alarm.
 
Pulling her long hair back into her signature ponytail, she slid into her running clothes and made her way out to the front porch.
 
After ten minutes of stretching she started down her walkway for her morning run and noted the temperature was already eighty-two degrees.
 
Delaney ran her usual four mile route through the scenic waterfront town.
 
She stopped once to help a turtle cross the road; it was their breeding season and the thought of it being crushed by a car when searching for love made her cringe.
 
Three miles out she passed Mike and was pleasantly surprised to see him running with a woman, presumably his fiancée.
 
They all gave a small wave and courtesy nod of the head without breaking their stride.
 
Passing the General Store, she could see William raising the “We’re Open” flag out front and hauling in the morning delivery of local newspapers. She was thankful her excursion was almost over, she could feel her workout clothes sticking to her soaking wet body and beads of sweat were pouring down her forehead and burning her eyes.
 
On the final turn onto her street she was shocked to see a truck in her driveway and somebody sitting in the shade of her porch, with Fetch curled up at their side.

Slowing her pace to a brisk walk she stopped at the parked red pickup truck and glanced down at the Pennsylvania tags.
 
She noted it was an older truck, probably eight years old and looked like it had a lot of miles.
 
There was a bumper sticker that read
I talk to strangers
and she wasn’t quite sure how to take that.
 
“Can I help you?”
 

Now standing, the stranger stepped out from under the shade reaching into his left breast pocket.
 
“Didn’t mean to surprise you like this.
 
I’m Special Agent Jake Thrasher, from the FBI.
 
I stopped by your office but you weren’t in yet so I took the liberty of looking you up.
 
I could see your coffee pot brewing through the window and assumed you would be returning.
 
Your brave guard dog here made me feel right at home.”
 
Holding his ID badge up with his left hand he reached out with his right to shake hands.

It had been years since Delaney felt any sort of chemical attraction to a man.
 
This was more of an explosion.
 
Without thinking, she reached out for his hand and instantly noticed the sweat dripping from her body.
 
She considered saying she didn’t live here and was just being a nosy neighbor but knew that wasn’t a very good plan.
 
She looked up into Jake’s sparkling blue eyes and radiant smile.
 
He had beautiful straight white teeth and dark crew cut style hair.
 
He must have been at least six feet four inches tall, with shoulders as broad as her doorway.
 
She could see through his white buttoned down oxford shirt that his body was strong and tight.
 
She imagined washboard abs and what it would be like to run her fingers over them.
 
As her eyes ran down to his thighs she was horrified to see blonde fur from Fetch all over his dark suit pants.
 

Suddenly her hand was in his and she felt waves of panic mixed with desire travel through her body.
 
She looked up and immediately saw the smirk on his face.
 
She was busted; he knew she was checking him out.
 
They quickly shook hands and Delaney invited him inside while apologizing for her shedding-like-crazy dog.
 
She pulled a lint roller and handed it to Jake.
 
Gathering creamer, sugar, and mugs, she set the coffee on her kitchen table.
 
Knowing there wasn’t any food in her refrigerator, she opened the door anyway hoping a plate of pastries would magically appear.
 
Staring back at her were a couple containers of organic strawberry yogurt, a bag of salad, and a couple cans of Diet Coke.
 
She silently cursed herself and slammed the door.
 

Seeing Jake already sitting at her kitchen table, she made a small gasping sound and brought her hand up over her mouth.
 
Jake started to stand up and began apologizing, “Sorry, I just assumed you put the second coffee cup out for me. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

Feeling foolish now, Delaney waved her arms for him to sit back down while saying, “The coffee is for you, for the both of us, I just wasn’t prepared to see you sitting in my husband’s seat, I mean my ex-husband, my dead ex-husband.
 
He always sat in the same place.”

Sitting back down now, Jake started to apologize for the death of Kevin, but before he could finish Delaney interrupted, “No really, don’t apologize. I divorced him, and when he died I honestly didn’t feel any remorse. I wasn’t happy he died, but I wasn’t sad either.
 
Now, let’s stop talking about him and discuss the real reason you’re here.”
 
Jake politely nodded and sipped his coffee.
 
Delaney noticed he drank it black and that he wasn’t wearing a wedding ring.
 
Jake got right to the point, and believed the case of Caroline O’Sullivan should be reopened.
 
Delaney was pleased to hear that, and went into her living room and returned with her files and notes.
 
“Something for you to read while I take a quick shower.”

After showering, Delaney tore through her closet looking for clothes.
 
“I have the hottest man on the planet sitting in my kitchen and I can’t find anything good to wear,” she mumbled to herself as clothes went flying off hangers.
 
She finally decided on a cream colored Donna Karen pencil skirt and sleeveless blouse which exposed just the top of her cleavage.
 
She rubbed lotion on her legs to make them look smooth and shiny and slipped on two-inch nude color sling backs with an open toe.
 
Standing in front of her floor length mirror she clipped her damp hair into a French twist, and put in her small silver hoop earrings.
 
She quickly dabbed some Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue behind her ears and onto her wrists.
 
She hurriedly curled her eyelashes and applied jet black waterproof mascara, a necessity in this humidity, and a sheer lip gloss.
 
One final look in her mirror and she was ready to go.