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Nick shrugged. “Probably. Did you see the headlines about the man who was murdered on the beach?”
She nodded. “I still feel so bad. Maybe I could have saved his life.”
“There were still some families leaving the beach when it happened. If anyone had tried to intervene, there could’ve been a lot more gunfire and more people might have been hurt.” Nick rested a comforting hand on hers. “You did the right thing.”
“I read that it was a drug deal that went south,” she said. Her hand felt cold and shaky beneath his, and her face turned even more pale. “The killer is considered armed and dangerous, obviously. And he’s still at large.”
“Do you need a blanket? Some hot coffee?”
She shook her head. “I just want to get this over with. An officer said they need me—us—to look at photos of possible suspects. I’m not sure how I can help. But you were facing in the opposite direction when I ran into your chest. Maybe you did?”
“I’ve already told them. I just saw you running toward me and a glimpse of a man who disappeared into the shadows a split second later.”
She shivered. “I’m starting to think that my quiet life at home sounds pretty good.”
“This will be over soon. I’m sure they’re questioning a lot of people who were on or near the beach. They’ve probably already collected evidence at the crime scene, and video surveillance cameras are everywhere these days. With facial recognition software the guy will be identified and captured in no time.”
“I hope it’s that easy. And fast.” She gave him a wry smile. “I can just hear my friends asking about my Hawaiian vacation. Did I enjoy the lovely beaches? No, I spent my time at a police station and had a wonderful time.”
“Maybe we can make this day better. What would you say to some lunch and a drive to a beautiful beach? You could bring your little bodyguard along.”
At that she gave him a sideways glance and laughed. “He would probably love that. Do you know of any dog-friendly trails and beaches?”
“Definitely. I—”
An officer beckoned to Lucy, and she stood. “Thanks for making this morning a little brighter, Nick.”
* * * *
LUCY STARED AT THEphotos on the computer screen, one after another, then asked to see them again. Mug shots, she supposed, though maybe that term wasn’t used any longer.
Several of them looked like aging surfers with their dark tans, weathered faces, and sun-bleached, dirty blond hair. A few made her think of gang members she’d seen on the nightly news programs back home.
The officer next to her watched her closely for any reaction. “Do you recognize any of these photos?”
“I—I just don’t know. Maybe like this last guy? I can’t be sure.”
She stared at the last photo of a burly Caucasian man with shoulder-length black, stringy hair, a dark tan, and a thin scar on his cheek. His blue eyes held an eerie, piercing glare that made her shudder.
But he was so over-the-top threatening that she guessed he might have been added to the photo selection as a red herring. An all too obvious—and wrong—choice to trip up an uncertain witness?
“All I know for sure is that he has dog bites on his ankles and that I rammed my elbow into his nose. So that still has to hurt. Yet—” She fell silent as that split second of impact flashed through her memory and a hazy image formed.
“The light was too dim to be sure, but I think he was Caucasian with a deep tan, not native Hawaiian. Dark hair. And his eyes were—” She closed her eyes.Please, Lord, help me remember. “I think they were light gray or blue.”
Unless she’d been completely influenced by that final photo.
The officer gave her an encouraging smile as she switched the view on the computer screen to show all of the photos at once. “So, given those details, can you identify the man you saw?”
“I can’t be sure.” Lucy bit her lip. “Maybe the final photo swayed my memory. Just looking at that face gave me a chill.”
The officer handed Lucy a business card as she stood. “Thank you for coming in. If you think of anything else, call me at this number.”
“I will. But can you tell me if you have any strong leads on who the guy is?”
“Three investigators are working on it, ma’am. We hope to have this man in custody soon.”
That wasn’t exactly encouraging. Lucy headed for the door, then turned back. “About those photos I just looked at—were some of them random, or were they all definite possibilities?”
