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CHAPTER 9
Sabrina
A full day plus had passed since the night of passion, but I wasn’t any less unnerved by the entire moment. I’d even found myself driving by the entrance to the small marina housing the boat Diego had used, which wasn’t like me. I wasn’t some lovesick girl in need of a man’s attention.
I’d learned the hard way that infatuation wasn’t in my best interest. I’d stayed the course after my ex had nearly destroyed me, plying me with gifts, rose-colored glasses, and lies for months.
And not necessarily in that order.
The fact I’d barely been able to keep my mind on the case was a clear indication I’d lost my mind. “What were you saying?” I asked absently as I continued to stare out the window at the ocean waters, as if the rumbling waves would provide me with clarity. I’d gone over the overdose cases as well as the murder countless times, barely remembering any of the details.
What I was forced to face was the constant nagging in the back of my mind, my inner voice telling me I was missing something that was right there in front of my face. What sickened me was that I was almost positive it had something to do with Diego and his sudden appearance. I’d checked the rental, Diego Fernandez paying cash for the use of the lighthouse for a week.
While that would normally be a serious red flag in my mind, the owner of the esteemed vacation rental location was known for preferring cash. I’d roused the guy more than once, certain he was skating on his taxes, but that was honestly out of my wheelhouse to deal with.
Especially with a violent criminal on the loose.
He’d assured me on the phone the man was on the up and up.
I’d had to strongarm the guy to get Diego’s full name. Another red flag had been he’d listed his two companions as brothers but there was no indication of where they’d arrived from or what they had planned. I was a smart girl, checking with the various hunting and fishing sites as well as with other well-known recreational companies to see if they’d booked a tour of any kind. Nope.
Whatever they were doing in our small and beautiful town was something very private.
What if it also involved criminal activity?
While a good decision might be to keep a tail on the man and his companions, not only did I not have the manpower, but I also didn’t want to draw any attention to the fact I’d fucked a possible suspect.
Oh, God.
The ugliness of what I might have done hammered my brain like nothing else had in a long time.
“Are you certain you’re okay?” Kathleen asked. “You’re more distracted than I’ve seen you in a long time. Does this have something to do with the fact you left with one hot-looking stud?”
“No!” I barked a little too emphatically, huffing after doing so. “Maybe it has something to do with the fact I have a murderer on the loose and several nasty overdoses hiding in the shadows. Do you know I had three phone calls from mothers and wives of the victims this morning alone? It’s only a matter of time before the mayor is breathing down my neck. So, can we just get on with whatever you found? Surely there’s something to help me with this case. That’s what I pay you for.” Of course, I didn’t pay her, the city council did, but her office was under my jurisdiction, which meant I was technically her boss.
What the hell was wrong with me?
The moment of quiet was a clear indication I’d gotten a tad bit too loud.
“Wow. Why, yes, boss. Let me just jump for you. The kill was ritualistic, as if the murdered was telling a story or providing a warning,” Kathleen said from the other end of the phone. Instead of her usual deadpan tone, her voice was animated and it had nothing to do with explaining what she’d discovered on the autopsy.
“And I take it no DNA.”
“None.”
“A single killer?” I ached all over. Even shifting in my office chair was yet another reminder of the night of passion that had been as unexpected as the fact I’d let go. Oh, I was an idiot. Diego hadn’t brought me back to my car until well after the bar had closed. By the time I’d gotten home and closed my eyes, the alarm had practically gone off. I was exhausted yet exhilarated, which continued to taunt me with how irresponsible I’d been.
The fact he hadn’t used a condom wasn’t far from my mind. What had been stranger than the fact I’d let my guard down was the odd dismissal when he’d dropped me off, even remaining completely silent during the ride back. Not that I’d been talkative either. We didn’t know each other, having kept to our crazy vow of not learning anything about each other intact.
Even more odd than the entire situation had been the look in his eyes the moment I’d opened the passenger door.
As if he’d become determined to shut down his emotions, returning to the predator I’d accused him of being. All I’d been able to think about at the time was that he was a handsome but broken man who refused to break through his chains.
It was ridiculous, the power he exuded thick and impossible to deny, but I couldn’t get over the even stranger sense that danger followed him wherever he went. Maybe the recent murder had permanently caused the heebie-jeebies to form.
Or maybe it was because I’d realized he wasn’t staying in the spectacular rental location by himself. I’d gone up to the actual lighthouse portion of the building, something I’d longed to do since arriving in town. He’d found me there with a fresh bottle of wine in his hand, his facial expression something I hadn’t been able to pin down.
But the room with the bunk beds I’d been forced to go through prior to heading up the stairs to the third floor had recently been slept in. Since he’d given me no indication he was with anyone or the reason he was in Alaska, a little nagging voice inside my head had remained. It didn’t help he’d seemed angry for a few seconds, his features only softening a few seconds later.
