Tidewater Inn (19 page)

“So maybe a college student could have done it. Or just anyone with a little knowledge.”

“Maybe.”

“Is IP tracing always accurate?”

Curtis shook his head. “A trace can be misdirected. So you need more evidence than a trace.”

Alec gestured to the building. “Here comes Libby.”

“When are you going to take her out on a real date?” Josh asked.

“Where would we go? Get a grip, Josh.”

“You've got a boat. Take her for a nice, romantic dinner in Kill Devil Hills.”

His friend had a point. Maybe Alec would do just that.

Zach's face was set and strained. Alec eyed his nephew's expression as they stood on the church lawn filleting fish with half a dozen men. Residents from all over the village had brought their gas grills and skillets. Griddles stood ready to cook the seafood, and news of the fish fry brought most of the townspeople to the church with dishes the women had prepared.

Curtis threw a mullet into the bowl. “You think that's enough? We're not going to clean
all
of these, are we? Where'd you get a haul like this, Zach?”

Zach shrugged. “Out past the sandbar. I knew the fishing would be good.”

“I think that nephew of yours can read fish minds,” Josh said to Alec. He pursed his lips like a fish. “Come catch me. I'll be good eating.”

Zach's smile didn't reach his eyes. “Ha ha.”

“When are you going to join us in the Coast Guard?” Curtis asked.

“Like, never,” Zach said. “I just want to fish.”

Josh poked a scale-covered finger at Alec. “Look at your uncle. He serves his country and fishes too. A perfect combination.”

Alec wanted to tell them to lay off, but he was curious to see if their ribbing would get Zach to reveal why he was in such a rotten mood. He placed another fillet on the growing mound in the big stainless bowl. But Zach hunched his shoulders and continued to work on the fish. He didn't look at either of Alec's friends.

Pearl hurried across the lawn toward them. “We're going to start cooking the fish. This was wonderful of you to do, Zach. You're a thoughtful boy, just like your dad. He would have done this too.”

Zach straightened and smiled. “Thanks, Mrs. Chilton.”

She patted his cheek. “So polite.”

Zach grinned and so did Alec. Pearl could change anyone's frown into a smile.

“I think we're ready to start cooking,” Pearl said. “Zach, would you carry the bowl for me? It's about as big as I am.”

Zach carried the big stainless bowl overflowing with fish fillets to the grilling station. A dozen men stood by, ready to start the cooking. The aroma of charcoal made Alec's stomach rumble. Side dishes covered the tables that had been hauled from the church basement.

He loved Hope Beach. It was a gift from God that he'd been able to live here all his life. Good people, good friends—what more did he need in his life? His contentment vanished when he caught a glimpse of Libby. Okay, so maybe he was a little lonely.

Josh nudged him with his elbow. “Look away. Resist the pull.”

Alec grinned. “Maybe I don't want to resist.”

“Be like me. A confirmed bachelor.”

“Right. I've seen you looking at Sara.”

Josh folded his arms across his chest. “I don't know what you're talking about.”

“No?” Curtis knocked Josh's hat off. “I don't know why you don't ask her out, man.”

Josh retrieved his Dodgers hat. “It would mess up the working relationship. What if it didn't work out but we still had to work together? Besides, it's better to be alone. Then I can do whatever I want, when I want.”

“In Genesis God says man was not meant to be alone,” Alec said, “that a woman completes him. My mom always reminded Dad of that when he complained about something.” Alec grinned at the memory.

“All my parents did was fight,” Josh said. “Until my mother lit out for somewhere else with another guy. I never saw her again.”

“Sara's not like that,” Curtis said. “If you don't ask her out, I will.”

Josh stiffened. “Oh, come on now, that's not playing fair. She wouldn't go with you anyway.”

“Want me to ask and see?”

“No. Just lay off, okay?” Josh's good-natured grin was gone. “I'll ask her if I get good and ready.”

Alec had never seen his friend so serious. Who knew Josh's joking hid so much pain? He put his hand on his friend's arm. “Okay, we'll lay off. But think about Sara, okay?”

“Someone mention my name?” Sara was smiling as she joined them. She looked different out of her uniform, happy and carefree with her honey-colored hair blowing in the wind.

Josh shot them a warning glare. “We were just wondering where you were.”

She lifted the dish in her hands. “I made my famous sweet-potato casserole. It's about the only thing I know how to cook.”

Josh's face was red and he didn't look at her. Alec decided to take pity on him. “Hey, Sara, would you make an effort to be a friend to Libby? I think she feels a little out of place. Her family has been less than welcoming.”

“I'd be glad to.” A smile hovered on Sara's lips. “We talked a little out on the island today. I'm glad you're interested in her. I like her.”

He wanted to protest that he wasn't interested, but they'd all know he was lying.

N
INETEEN

L
ibby stood slightly apart from the happy crowd populating the churchyard. She wanted to be part of the group, but so far no one had taken notice of her. What was it the Bible said about friends?
A man who has friends must himself be friendly
.

She pasted on a smile and approached the closest group of women. “Can I help? I have a really great coating recipe for fish.” She targeted her question to the only familiar face, Sara, who'd been on the Coast Guard boat.

Sara smiled. “Hello, Libby. I'm glad you're here. I'm terrible at cooking. What do you need for your breading? I'm a good gofer and I can rustle up the ingredients.”

“Cornmeal, flour, paprika, pepper, and onion powder.”

Sara held up her hands. “Whoa, whoa, I need to write that down.” She pulled a scrap of paper from the purse at her feet and jotted it down. “Be right back.”

The other ladies smiled and spoke to Libby as she waited for Sara to return. Their friendliness was a balm to her, and several told her they'd been praying that Nicole would be found. Her pulse blipped when Alec came across the lawn toward her.

He smiled when he reached her. “You any good at cooking fish?”

“I can fix fish that will have you begging for more,” she said. “I have a special breading I use. Sara went after the ingredients for me.”

“I can't wait to taste it.”

Surely he hadn't come over to make small talk. She searched his expression. “Any news?”

“I've been thinking about that beach cam website. Can we retrace exactly what you did? Did you copy the video to start to save it?”

She shook her head. “I tried to save it to my laptop and it wouldn't work. So I decided to look at the coding and copy it that way. I had just gotten in when it blipped, and everything was gone.”

“Maybe someone else was there too. And the trace got misdirected to you. Curtis says it's possible.”

“I wish I could believe that. I hate that something I might have done has hindered finding her kidnappers. How can I prove my innocence to the sheriff and everyone else?”

“I don't think you can unless we find the men responsible.”

“It feels impossible.” She glanced around. “This might be a good time to question people, don't you think?”

“Good idea.”

She nodded toward Horace's secretary. “I thought of a few other questions for Mindy.”

Mindy was sitting on a lawn chair by herself with a glass of iced tea in one hand and a novel in the other. She seemed oblivious to the hubbub going on around her. Libby had to speak her name for the woman to look up from her book.

Though Mindy smiled, her gaze wandered back to her book, then up again. “I thought you two would be around here somewhere.”

“Did your house have any damage?” Alec asked.

She shook her head. “Mine's on a hill. The storm surge didn't reach me.”

Alec glanced around. “Is Horace here somewhere too?”

“He and his son both came. His wife is in Virginia Beach.” She looked at the book in her hand again.

Libby took the hint. “I am trying to figure out what all Nicole did when she was here. Did she mention any of her activities when you talked to her?”

Mindy thought for a moment. “She went parasailing.”

“Who took her out?” Alec asked.

“Brent. I think he was a little smitten.”

Libby gasped, and Alec straightened. She stared up at him. “Don't you think Brent would have mentioned that to us? He only mentioned talking to her in the ice-cream shop.”

“Yeah, that seems odd.”

Libby glanced across the lawn to where Brent stood talking with friends. “I'm going to ask him about it. What day did she go out with him, do you remember?”

“I think it was last Saturday.”

Libby started toward Brent, then saw Sara standing by the grills with a basket of items in her hands. “I'd better do my part with the fish first. Sara went to all the trouble to get me the ingredients.”

“I think I want to watch this,” Alec said. His lips twitched.

“You think I can't cook?” She tried to put indignation into her tone, but her smile gave her away. “You had plenty of my avocado dressing. Did
you
bring a dish?”

“I can make a mean bowl of microwave popcorn, but that's it,” he said. “I don't think there's much demand for popcorn.” He took her arm and steered her back to where Sara waited. “I think everyone wants something more substantial.”

“I like popcorn,” she said. The moment the words left her lips, she wanted to recall them. They sounded flirtatious, as though she was angling for an offer. His fingers seemed to warm as they tightened on her arm, but it had to be her imagination.

He cleared his throat. “Listen, I know your mind is on finding Nicole, but when this is all over, you want—”

“Alec, I need your help,” Pearl said. “We need a few more tables hauled up from the church basement.”

“Sure thing, Pearl.”

Did he sound relieved? Libby watched them go and wished he'd finished his question. Had he been trying to ask her out?

Brent seemed to be deliberately avoiding him. Alec tried to catch him alone several times during the fish fry. Every time Alec neared him, Brent moved off to talk with another friend.

Libby's fish was a success. She stood talking recipes and food with several of the women from town. It warmed Alec to see how quickly she had made connections. Maybe she wouldn't sell out and leave. She gave a little wave when she saw him, and then spoke to a couple of women before joining him.