“Nonsense. I can walk. I need the exercise. And for pity’s sake, the girl just got out of the hospital.” Her aunt appeared nonplussed, but her eyes twinkled as though she was glad something was going on between them. And Gage wished he hadn’t noticed that. Because he wasn’t taking Sadie out for a date. Nothing was going on between them.
“He’s taking me over to Karon’s vacation house, Aunt Debby.” Sadie leaned out the door and kissed her aunt on the forehead. “Don’t worry. I’ll be home for dinner.”
She was right about their destination, but what on earth had given her the idea he was taking her to Karon’s vacation house? Did she really know him that well? Or was it just the next logical step in the investigation?
Her aunt shook her head and walked off, mumbling to herself, though she had a teasing tone. “Kids these days.”
Gage climbed into the driver’s side. After she settled into the passenger seat, Sadie tilted her head toward him.
“I didn’t tell you I was assigned the investigation yet,” he said. “It’s awfully presumptuous for you to think I was, and then to include yourself in it, which isn’t how I normally work.” Still, he couldn’t help but grin at her. “So how did you know?”
“What, that we’re going back to the last place Karon had been? The last place I was before the boat?”
He nodded and shifted the SUV into gear. He’d follow Debby to her car and see that she got in and drove off. Then he’d call Crowley to let him know in case the man wanted to meet them there. He hoped they had already put crime scene tape up again since Sadie had been abducted from that location. Gage would officially be investigating Karon’s murder. And yes, he’d refer to it as a homicide now even if Crowley objected.
Sadie glanced his way, and he felt the tug of her gaze. He idled in the parking lot while Aunt Debby climbed into her midsize sedan.
“Because I can show you what the other guys missed and you know that,” Sadie said. “And I figure that you’re a hero, Gage, and there’s a killer still out there. That’s a ticking time bomb waiting to go off and I’m at the center of that explosion once he learns I survived. Now what are you going to do about it?”
A ticking time bomb. Man, she had a way with words—a way to put the situation into a whole new perspective as if it were only a matter of time before the killer got his hands on her again and would finish the job. Gage already believed she was in danger. Her words had a profound effect on him, causing fear to cinch his throat.
“What am I going to do about it? Glad you asked. I have every intention of finding the person responsible.” And of protecting you, while I’m at it, Sadie Strand.
“So you’re the one who is going to investigate?” Her tone held a measure of hope.
That shouldn’t make him happy, but it did.
Sadie’s aunt safely in her car, Gage steered his vehicle out of the hospital parking lot. “Yes. I talked to my SAC. I’ve been assigned to investigate. Though Karon’s death was initially ruled an accident, there’s been another incident in addition to your attempted murder.” He’d alluded to it earlier but hadn’t told Sadie about Sean yet.
“And what’s that?”
“Listen, Sadie, let’s make one thing clear. I’m taking you to where you were abducted so that it will possibly trigger your memory. Whatever you tell me will help me to find Karon’s killer and your abductor all in one, but other than that, you’re not investigating with me. Understand?”
“Oh, really? You need me, special agent man. I know things that can help you, like you just said. For instance, I brought up the wiped computer hard drive and we’re going to check on that now and see if we can find anything else.”
“We won’t touch the computer if it’s there. I’ll have to call in a computer tech if we want anything found to be used in a criminal case. The fact that you already touched it could ruin that for us, but we’ll take this one step at a time. For my part, I’m only interested in what we can find as it ties to Karon’s duties as a Coast Guard reservist or to the maritime drug smuggling ring I’m investigating.”
“I don’t understand. Aren’t you trying to find who killed her?”
Yes and no. How did he explain?
“I’m investigating her murder as it pertains to the ring. Finding whoever left you out there could lead me to those involved. Was Karon murdered by the drug runners? Those who are involved in the ring? Or was she involved with them somehow?”
“What? No way!”
“Those were just sample questions. Was she associated with anyone possibly connected to the drug runners and maritime smuggling ring?” Yes, with Sean, depending on how he tied into it. Thompkins was looking into that.
“I don’t know of anyone.”
“What else can I learn about her murder that will lead me to the smugglers who will either be arrested for her murder or for drug running, or both? That’s why I will work with the sheriff’s department and other law enforcement entities as necessary. My goal is to determine if charges can be brought under the laws the Coast Guard enforces.”
Sadie appeared to slump as if disappointed. He touched her arm. “You should know something. If my SAC hadn’t assigned me, I would have pushed for it.” Now, why did he think she had needed to know that?
But her spirits appeared to lift, so he’d been right to share.
“Thank you, Gage. I’m glad you’re the one to find Karon’s killer. And... I feel safe when I’m with you.” She averted her gaze as if it was too hard to see his reaction to her words.
They had served only to further ignite his protectiveness.
He needed to focus back on task. “I’ll have to meet up with the other CGIS special agent and get his notes. I’ll read them tonight. But the fact that you were abducted from Karon’s house and left to drown on a sinking boat suggests there must be something in the house worth looking at.”
“And someone doesn’t want me digging around and finding out who killed Karon.”
A lump grew in his throat. He’d saved Sadie from the ocean, from the attempted murder. He prayed to God he could protect her until they caught the killer. Karon’s killer. Like his SAC had said, he wanted this solved quickly so no one else would die. Gage couldn’t agree more.
On the lengthy drive from the hospital back to the coast, he contacted Deputy Crowley and left a message that they were headed to the Casingses’ vacation house. A long peninsula separated Coldwater Bay from the ocean. Several rivers emptied into the bay bordered by a few small towns—Joshua, West Plymouth, Oyster City, Bay City and Jackson—where Sadie lived with her aunt on the cove side of Coldwater Bay. Finally, Gage steered the SUV down Oceanview Drive on the Washington state coastline, nearing the rental house where Karon had been staying.
Before him, the rock-studded coastline slid by.
Sadie leaned her elbow against the door and rested her chin on her hand. “Everything seems so surreal.”
Gage understood what she meant. Sadie had been out in the middle of stormy waters mere hours ago and had almost died. Likely would have if the Kraken hadn’t been on those waters, and maybe even if Gage hadn’t been there. Still, he wanted to keep her talking and asked, “How’s that?”
“I was just thinking about Coldwater Bay. The history of this place. Decades ago. A century ago even,