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“Ooph! Looks rough,” Elise said. “I hope they know all you go through for them.”
“They don’t,” Officer Cutler said. His eyes then turned over Elise’s head to find Wayne. His smile fell slightly.
Wayne knew this was related to the fact that he’d had a brief romance with Officer Cutler’s wife’s good friend, Deirdre, the previous summer.
Yet another stain on his bachelor life on the island.
It hadn’t ended well, obviously.
“Wayne. Didn’t expect you to stop by,” Officer Cutler said.
“I’m just watching over the proceedings,” Wayne said. “Our California arsonist clearly can’t be trusted.”
Elise cast him a funny glare. Alex shifted in his chair and grimaced.
“This isn’t a laughing matter,” Alex affirmed. “And the fact that either of you think it could be deemed as such should be seen as evidence.”
“Give it a rest, Alex,” Officer Cutler said.
Alex’s jaw dropped open.
Nobody talked to the Swartz family like that. Not on Mackinac Island.
In the silence that fell, Elise cleared her throat and said, “Thanks again for investigating the fire so extensively, Officer.”
Officer Cutler scooched to the front of his chair and beamed. “I’m glad I finally get to tell you both our official results.”
“I hope your investigation was extensive.” Alex groaned.
“I can assure you, it was,” Officer Cutler said. His voice sounded sour. “In any case, we’ve officially declared that the fire was caused by an electrical issue. We’ll make a formal announcement in the paper, which will finally rid poor Elise here of all these rumors.”
Wayne glared at Alex. Alex sniffed, and then pressed a hand across the desk.
Wayne couldn’t help himself.
“Don’t you think you owe Elise an apology?”
Alex turned his horrible eyes toward Wayne. “I’m sorry?”
“You accused this woman of arson. You’ve spent a lot of time here accusing her of a lot more than that, too. All Elise wanted was to come to Mackinac for a little vacation, the kind of thing any person does. A little time away to find herself.”
Alex arched his eyebrow. “Right. And you’re the kind of guy who knows what it means to run around, finding yourself. Aren’t you, Wayne?”
“Boys, if you want to have some kind of altercation, then I suggest you do it outside,” Officer Cutler said. He then turned his eyes back toward Elise and muttered, “I don’t know what to do with them.”
Alex burst from his chair and sauntered toward the doorway. He stood only a foot or so away from Wayne. After a moment, he turned back to look at Elise.
“You won’t find what it is you came here to find,” he said, his voice rattling around ominously. “My father wants nothing to do with you. The Swartz family, in general, wants nothing to do with you.”
Wayne snorted. “You should tell that to Tracey, who just spent a whole afternoon with Elise.”
Alex glowered at both of them, turned toward the door, and stormed out. Elise hustled to her feet, thanked Officer Cutler again, and raced after him. Wayne tore through the door to find her reaching out to grab his elbow and hold him back.
“Alex, wait...”
Alex tore around, volatile, his eyes burning with anger. “Don’t you touch me.”
“Alex, I just really think you have me all wrong,” Elise said. “I don’t want your money. Heck, I didn’t even know about the Swartz family before I arrived. I just came here to—to get a better picture of my mother. I know you recently lost your mother, too. I know you know what it feels like.”
