"I see. Okay. In that case, I'll check on Miss Erickson and take the car in to be serviced. You have a good day."
"You too."
Delphine just lied to his face about the fire on the pier.
But why?
The more he thought about it, the more he was sure the fire was a planned distraction. But Delphine was on the beach while he and Lena fought the fire. So who was taking advantage of the distraction? And for what purpose?
He forced a casual pace as he walked to Lena's room. But his fear for her safety escalated with every step. Delphine couldn't be trusted. Which meant Lena wasn't safe in the house today after all.
He knocked on Lena's door.
A cautious "Who is it?" barely sounded over Nutmeg's yipping.
"Nash."
Muffled movement and a "Just a second" filtered through Nutmeg's one-sided, yet impassioned, dialogue.
Lena cracked the door open, Nutmeg squirming in her arms.
"Hey," Nash said, intentionally keeping his tone equal parts professional and casual. Delphine was probably listening. "I'm driving over to Morghana City on the main island to have the car serviced today. Do you want a ride to the city?"
Confusion contorted her delicate features.
"Morghana City's a larger city than anything on Isadora Island. If you need groceries or forgot to pack anything, you'll need to get it from Morghana City."
"Ohh, well . . ." He sensed she was about to say no. He held up a hand, silencing her, and mouthed the words, "Say yes."
Now she looked completely bewildered. He silently pointed down the hall.
He stepped into her room and into her personal space, which she didn't seem to appreciate, but he needed to whisper. "Delphine just lied to me about the fire yesterday. You may not be safe here. Pretend you need to get something in Morghana City."
He stepped back to the doorway.
"Oh," she said louder, catching on. "Well, yeah, actually, I did forget a couple of things."
She looked at Nutmeg. "I really hate to . . . I can't leave Nutmeg. But Victoria said he loves car rides, so we'll just bring him along."
Nash hadn't planned on taking the dog on this trip, but he didn't see a way out of it. "Yeah, sure, I guess so. Meet me at the garage in ten minutes. We'll head out."
"Okay, sure. I'll see you in a few minutes."
Nash returned to his apartment just long enough to call Jason with an update. He related his conversation with Delphine.
Jason groaned in response.
"Yeah, I know," Nash said. "Whatever she's up to, I don't think she's working with Emil. Same goes for Ed Chester. I didn't believe him last night. But just because they're not loyal to Emil doesn't mean they're friendlies. I think Emil has a mutiny on his hands."
"Well, buddy, you like a challenge. Hope this doesn't get messy, but—"
"It always does. It's okay. It's the job."
"I know. But you're not on your own. Knox, Allie, and I will be returning to Isadora Island tomorrow morning. We'll be at The Mandeville Resort. So, if you need us, call. From The Mandeville, we can be at Emil's in twelve minutes."
Nash smiled. "Eight if Knox is driving."
"True."
