“Not yet. You’re the only one, and I’d like to keep it that way for a while. I just found out this morning.”
“I promise. Now. I’ve got texts and calls to make.” Jane shifted into her “getting shit done” mode. “I assume you’ll be working with the FBI and Tessa?”
“Unofficially.” If they’ll let me.
“Good. Keep me updated. I love you, Cate.”
“I love you too.” The call ended, and Cate looked at the pregnancy test again.
I can do this.
7
Two hours later Cate and Tessa watched a tiny plane land at the island’s airstrip. Special Agent Isla Ross hopped down and jogged across the grass. The agent had been with the FBI for only two years, but Cate knew she was sharp and intelligent. The fact that she’d been given a big case like the robberies indicated her supervisor’s confidence in her skills.
Isla approached with her hand extended. “Cate, good to see you again. You too, Deputy Black.”
“Call me Tessa, please.”
The three of them got into Tessa’s vehicle. Cate was walking a fine line. She had no place on an FBI investigation . . . or any investigation, for that matter. Isla or Tessa could ask her to leave. But they hadn’t. Yet.
As they headed back to the medical clinic, Isla immediately brought up the case, which Cate appreciated. “So far the man in the video you sent us has produced no leads. We’ve run him through some facial-recognition data banks without luck, and we’re doing some more. I sent his image to the local law enforcement where the robberies took place. Someone has to recognize this guy.” She turned in her seat to meet Cate’s gaze. “What are the odds that these men are still on the island?” Isla included Tessa in her question.
“We haven’t found any reports of boats that left the island last night,” said Tessa. “We’ve got the marinas locked down for now. Anyone needing to leave has to get permission from my office.”
“But there are dozens of private docks,” said Cate. “Most people know better than to take out a boat in the dark, but clearly these men had a mission. I don’t think the dark would stop them if they wanted to leave.”
“Mentioning a boat in the medical clinic might have been a ruse,” said Isla.
“Absolutely,” agreed Cate. “Frankly, I think there is a very good chance the men are still on Widow’s. Especially since one of them is hurt.”
“Two other deputies have started a canvass of the businesses in North Sound,” said Tessa. “They’re starting from the clinic and working out.”
“Why wasn’t that done last night?” asked Isla.
“It was dark, and everything was closed,” said Tessa. “Checking the harbors for boat activity and the clinic’s video feed took priority yesterday.”
“I agree,” said Isla. “I know you don’t have a lot of manpower, so I’d like the three of us to search the area outside the clinic. Maybe something will point in the direction they went.”
Cate nodded, pleased to be included. “Julie didn’t hear a vehicle after the men left.”
“Would she have been able to while inside the clinic?” asked Isla.
“If it was parked close enough. I can hear cars pass on the street when I’m inside.” Cate looked at Tessa. “Jane activated the circle to keep an eye out and nose around.”
“What is that?” asked Isla.
Cate explained. The FBI agent looked amused at the description of the knitters but agreed it could be helpful.
Tessa parked on the street near the clinic. The only visible activity in North Sound was several tourists near Black Tail Bakery two blocks away. Cate was proud to see her bakery doing business at the early hour. “There’s Bruce,” said Tessa. The deputy was talking to two tourists outside the bakery.
The three women got out of the vehicle. “Where is the closest place to find a boat?” asked Isla.
“There’s a very small pier to the south,” said Tessa. “People only dock there for short periods of time. It’s not well kept up.”
“And there’s a dock less than a mile from here at the park, but people mainly use it for kayaks, and there are always swimmers jumping off. I think it’s a little shallow for a lot of boats. I rarely see one in the area.”
“Let’s circle the clinic, and then, Tessa, you go to the pier to the south, and Cate and I will walk to the park. Keep an eye out for outdoor cameras you might not be aware of. Tessa, it looks like the deputies’ canvass will cover most of the buildings before your dock?”
“Yes. And the businesses on your route. You’ll start passing homes after a few blocks, though.”
The three women did a slow grid search around the clinic. Other than two empty water bottles behind the clinic in some tall grass, they found nothing of interest. Tessa bagged the bottles. They parted to walk to their respective docks.
“If I was trying to avoid being seen on the way to the park, I’d stick to that side of the street,” said Isla, pointing to the opposite side and the fence that separated the road from the bay’s rocky beach. It was a useless piece of land. Too many rocks to make a good beach and regularly immersed at high tide. A few bushes offered cover. “Are there seriously no streetlights at night?”
“Very few,” said Cate as they crossed the street. The bay side of the road didn’t have sidewalks. They walked in silence for several long moments, their gazes sweeping the ground. “Lotta footprints,” said Cate. “Tourists take pictures at this spot.”
“It’s a nice view of that tiny island in Widow’s Bay.”
“That’s Ruby’s Island,” said Cate. “It’s named after an ancestor of mine.”
“That sounds like a story I need to hear.” Isla’s eyes brightened in expectation.
As they continued their progress toward the park, Cate told her about Elias Bishop and his affair with Cate’s great-grandmother, Ruby. How the two of them had been found dead at the foot of the high cliff, which was later named Widow’s Walk. How Elias’s angry wife, Camilla, had been suspected of killing them but had never been arrested.
“That explains the names like Widowmaker Brewery and Harlot Harbor,” said Isla.
“The whole island relishes the story,” said Cate. “For decades Camilla’s descendants hated Ruby’s descendants. That didn’t come to an end until Samantha Bishop became one of my closest teenage friends. Even her mother didn’t like me back then because of my lineage.”
“Sometimes small towns have nothing better to do than focus on feuds.” Isla stopped and squatted to get a better look at the ground. “Does it look like something was dragged here?”
Cate lowered herself beside the agent. “Maybe? Could be anything. Could be from a boogie board.” The women continued their slow progress. The road quickly narrowed as they left town. A few homes started to appear on the opposite side of the road, but they were set far back with long driveways and gates. Property crime wasn’t that prevalent on the island, but tourists had a tendency to wander wherever they pleased. Many homes near the small town put up fences and gates.