Lowcountry Seaside Mystery Box Set, page 11
part #1 of Lowcountry Seaside Mystery Series
“Well . . .” a voice said. “Someone’s finally awake.”
Ryan’s eyes fluttered open as he awakened from his heavy slumber. He felt the cold air dance across his bare chest and arms as he gripped the bed, lumpy and uncomfortable as if it were made of twigs and rocks. He was confused but awake, perhaps more fully awake than he’d ever been. A slow realization fell across him. It was a dream. Haley hadn’t been there. She was gone.
“Where am I?” he asked, looking around the room. There was a familiar dread about the place. Its white walls and septic smell seemed all too real as he struggled to sit up. His head felt different somehow, heavier and less familiar than it once had. Looking down, he saw small adhesive badges stuck to his chest, each one with a small, thin wire snaking from it and into a small machine. He was in the hospital. He’d been injured.
“You’re in the hospital.” Jillian came into view. “Kit pulled you from the water.”
“Jillian,” he said, a pang of pain shooting down the back of his neck as he turned to meet her eyes. “You’re here.”
“I drove back as soon as I got the call.”
“What call?”
“The one from your partner,” she answered, sitting on the edge of his small bed. “Kit called me at about four o’clock in the morning. She said you’d been in an accident. Apparently, she’s your emergency contact now.”
“The boat . . .” A wave of fresh guilt and broken memories crept into his mind, each one a different piece of the night before, each one stitching itself to the next until finally, he remembered. “Foggy!” he snapped, doing his best to sit up. “He’s dead.”
“Yes,” Jillian replied, pushing him back down. “Take it easy. You’re not supposed to—”
“I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine.” She folded her arms across her chest. “You look like death warmed over.”
“I need to get back there.”
“Back where?” she asked. “To the house that’s now a crime scene? To the boat you destroyed? Or to the beach you nearly died on? Where would you like to go?”
“I saw him,” Ryan said. “I saw the murderer.”
“You’re impossible,” she muttered. “Be that as it may, you nearly died. You have to stay here until the doctor releases you. End of story.”
“I just want—”
“Shut up!” Jillian exclaimed. “Just shut the hell up, Ryan.”
“Jillian, I—”
“No.” She pounded her fist into the bed. “Enough is enough! You have to stop this! It’s not worth the cost. You’re losing too much here . . . and we’re losing you!”
“Not worth the cost?” he repeated, stunned that she’d ever say such a thing.
Jillian may have not liked the idea of her husband devoting one hundred percent of his time to work, but she’d never been the type to say someone’s life didn’t matter. She was a good person, a decent woman with strong Southern morals and a fear of the Almighty. She’d always had his best interest at heart, even when they disagreed about what those interests should be. That was happening today, though Ryan couldn’t afford the distraction right now.
“She’s dead, Ryan,” Jillian said. “I know you loved her, and I know you have this thing where you imagine what your life would have been like if you’d gotten to be with her, but finding her killer isn’t going to give you that. It’s not going to bring her back.”
“It’s not for me,” Ryan said, surprised at everything his now ex-wife said.
“Then who is it for, Ryan?” she asked. “Because the only family that poor girl had left is in the morgue now too. Who could you possibly be fighting this fight for if not yourself?” She leaned forward and took his hand. “Maybe you really don’t see it. Maybe you actually do think this is like every other case to you.” She shook her head. “It’s not, sweetie. You’re not acting like yourself, and that’s to be understood. This woman has been your entire life.”
Ryan pulled his hand away from Jillian’s. Her words slid into him like a sharp knife. “That’s not true,” he said. “Don’t you lay that on me. Don’t you insinuate that I was a bad husband or that I’m a bad father. I love our daughter. I loved you, Jilly.”
She blinked at him, taking a deep, steadying breath. “That’s not what I meant. I know you love her, Ryan, and you are a good father. Haley was your first love, though, and her death is what spurred you to become the man you are now. She might not have been your entire life, but she sure as hell shaped it.”
Ryan sighed heavily. “I just want to do my job, Jilly.”
“Except this isn’t your job anymore, is it?” she asked. “You were taken off this case, right? Kit told me that too.”
“There was a misunderstanding,” Ryan answered. “It’s nothing.”
“Nothing?” she asked. “Is nothing why you insisted I take our daughter out of town?”
A lightbulb went off over the detective’s head. “Carly,” he gasped. “Where is she? Who is she with?”
“I left her with Thomas,” Jillian admitted, shaking her head.
“Tell me you’re joking,” Ryan answered immediately. “Tell me you did not leave our daughter alone with that man.”
“That man lives with our daughter day in and day out,” Jillian answered. “He’s family to her, and whether you like it or not, she’s as safe with him as she is with either one of us.”
“He’s not family,” Ryan answered quickly. “He’s never going to be her family.” He scoffed. “He lied to you! He lied to both of us.”
“About an affair with Haley he had a hundred years ago?” Jillian asked. “We were all children then. Besides, I didn’t know either of you back then, and I certainly can’t hold something a man did before he could even legally drink against him today. He’s been good to me, Ryan. He’s been attentive and caring, and most importantly, he’s been there.”
“Unlike me, you mean?” he asked, his jaw tightening.
“It is what it is, sweetie,” she answered. “Doesn’t mean I want to see you get yourself killed.” She stood and headed toward the door. “And just so you know, just because he isn’t family now doesn’t mean he won’t be soon enough.”
“I know, the wedding,” Ryan said remorsefully. “I guess the mailman misplaced my invitation.”
“You can’t behave yourself at dinner. What on earth would you do at the wedding?” she asked. “And that’s not what I’m talking about. I wasn’t sure how to tell you this, and honestly, this doesn’t seem like the best time. But I don’t want you finding out any other way.”
“What is it?” Ryan asked, sitting up in his hospital bed.
“It’s me,” Jillian answered. “I’m pregnant.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
Ryan couldn’t think straight for what seemed like a lifetime after Jillian left the room. His head was spinning, his heart was racing, and his entire body seemed to hurt. It was like he had been kicked squarely in the soul. If what his ex-wife just said was true, and Ryan had no reason to believe it wasn’t, then the axe that had always been hanging over the shambles of his marriage had finally fallen.
To be honest, he’d never really imagined Jillian would come back to him. In truth, he didn’t really want her to. She had betrayed him. She had proven herself unworthy of the love and loyalty he had given her in their decade and a half of marriage. Still, they’d had happy times once. They’d been in love, deeply so, and it hurt to let go of that. What hurt more, of course, was leaving his daughter behind. Though there was no power on this planet that could ever pull him away from Carly completely, Ryan had to admit that when Jillian ended their marriage, it had changed things completely for him. He couldn’t live with his daughter in the home he’d built for her anymore.
That house was occupied by another man now, by that bastard who was eating food Ryan paid for and sleeping next to a woman he’d sworn to love for the rest of his life. He would never again wake to the smell of her homemade buttermilk pancakes. He would never again sit next to her and watch the morning sunrise. Someone else would take his place.
And now that man was going to bring one of that woman’s children into the world. Whatever false hope Ryan had held of a reconciliation was gone now, completely destroyed.
He was lost in that emotion when the door opened. So lost, in fact, that he didn’t even realize his boss was entering the room.
That blessed reprieve ended when the man barked in his direction.
“You’ve really screwed things up this time!”
Ryan’s head jerked up, and his eyes focused on what was going on in front of him. His direct superior officer, Chief Evans, stood in front of him. Where Jillian’s eyes had been painted with concern and worry, Chief Evans’s held no such weight. His anger was plain on his face and his frustration was at a boiling point.
Their troubled relationship was far from a secret. Practically everyone in Charleston County knew of their feelings about one another. Everyone remembered Ryan for the troubled young man he’d once been. But this was the South, and even though those days were long behind him, the Lowcountry people never seemed to forget.
“Chief,” Ryan said, swallowing hard and trying to pull himself together. He could see the man was upset, and it wouldn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out why. Still, he had always heard ignorance was bliss. So why not give it a try?
“Is everything all right?”
“Don’t play coy with me, you son of a bitch,” he shot back. “Do you have any idea how much trouble you’re in?”
Okay. So the ignorance thing wasn’t exactly bliss this time. But maybe it would be enough to save his hide.
Ryan took a deep breath. “I know what you’re going to say.” He shook his head.
“You have absolutely no idea what I’m going to say,” he answered, nostrils flared. “Because if you did, you’d be running away right now.”
The man’s emotions practically spewed from his mouth and eyes. Both his words and his stare cut through Ryan like a spear. Chief Evans had never been one to hold back, but today he seemed a little readier to let his emotions loose and to place the blame where he thought it belonged.
“I did what I thought was best, Chief,” he said, standing his ground, or more aptly, sitting it. “I was trying to solve this case.”
“A case I expressly took you off of,” he said. “Do you think I’m stupid, Ryan? Do you think I got my position by accident?”
Ryan always hated those types of arguments, the whole I deserve my place in this world crap. Most everyone deserved to be where they were. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be there, plain and simple. Sure, there may have been the rare exception, but for the most part, life gives a man what he’s earned.
“Of course not, sir,” he said, treading lightly as he continued. “It’s just—”
“Then why the hell would you think that the orders I give you are optional?” he asked.
It was a stupid question, fueled solely by anger and frustration, though the detective wasn’t sure it was directed only at him. He’d known his superior long enough to tell when there was something else under the surface, something even stronger than the juvenile feeling of being pissed off. Chief Evans knew Ryan would soon solve the case. Maybe that’s what made him so upset. The thought of having to remove the detective before closing the investigation probably rubbed him the wrong way.
“They’re not,” he said. “I know they’re not. I wasn’t trying to disobey you, sir. I was simply—”
“Making trouble for me.” He stomped his foot furiously. “Do you have any idea how much property damage you caused with your little high-speed chase? The damn Coast Guard had to come out.”
“That wasn’t my intention,” Ryan answered.
“Of course it wasn’t,” Chief Evans spat back. “No one’s intention is ever to screw things up and fail completely, and that’s not even taking into consideration the damn explosion.”
“The explosion,” Ryan muttered, the memory of it all coming back to him like the waves he was once trapped in. He felt the sharp edge of a piece of cast-off metal pierce his scalp and heard the loud thunderous boom that followed and then felt the uncomfortable sensation of water filling his lungs.
“You’ve gone too far,” Chief Evans said, practically growling at the man. “Everything you’ve done, everything you’ve refused to do. It’s too much. I can’t save you this time.”
“Save me?” Ryan asked, a pang of anger mixing in with the pain. “I’ve gotten further in this investigation than anybody else. The fact that you took me off it is just a testament to how far off the mark you are.”
“Frankly,” Chief Evans started, “you wouldn’t have any idea what we have or have not learned about the case since you were removed. That’s privileged information and you’ve lost your privilege. What’s more, you’ve lost all your privileges as well as your badge.”
Ryan stiffened in the bed. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying you crossed a line, Son,” he answered. “My superiors are looking at me for this. I can’t allow this to go unpunished. My hands are tied, Ryan. I’m sorry, but I have to suspend you from the police force.” He sighed. “Effective immediately.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Hey there, sweetie.” Michelle entered the room.
In the couple of days he’d been in the hospital, Ryan had only managed to see her once, and even then, it was just for a second. But that was mostly because he’d had so much trouble staying awake. But with lying still in a hospital bed, eating crappy food, and getting himself pumped full of more drugs than he actually needed, he wasn’t always in the best mood.
“You on break?” he asked, watching her close the door.
She smiled. “Actually, my shift is over. I just thought I’d come check in on you. From what I hear, you’ll be out of here in the morning.”
“Here’s hoping,” Ryan responded. “You got your hair cut.”
“You like it?” She smiled.
Her once-long hair was cut into a short, spiky, pixie-type thing. While the look may not have worked on a lot of people, it actually looked rather nice on her. With her small frame and light features, she looked like a pixie anyway. Stepping closer, she made a few checks of his vitals, though it looked as if she was killing time more than anything else. Ryan was fine. He knew that. His being there was just a mix of precaution and the fact that he didn’t really want to head home.
“I do,” he answered as she sat beside him, letting her fingernails lightly stroke his arm.
Ryan felt the hairs on the back of his neck spring up as she thoughtfully grazed his skin, letting herself get lost in his eyes. There’d always been a wonderful smell that carried along with the woman, seeming to almost emanate from her skin. Not too sweet, and just a little spicy, it reminded him of the way a beach smelled just after a bonfire. He’d always been crazy about it, often placing his head against her neck just to get a whiff of the delightful fragrance. He wondered how she might react if he did that now.
“How’s your head?” she asked, running her hands through his dark hair and leaning in.
“Better . . .” he answered. “Especially now.”
Her lips were soft and warm as they pressed against his. It had been longer than he’d realized since he’d last been touched, much too long, really. But with being so caught up in his work, he hadn’t taken the time to feel the closeness of another person. Now that she was there and eager to continue where they’d left off after their last date, he didn’t intend to waste the moment, even if he was hooked up to a bevy of machines.
“I’ve missed you.” Her lips grazed his cheek as her sweet, hot breath invaded his ear canal.
Ryan felt his pulse begin to race, causing hot blood to pump through his veins like a raging river. Lifting his hand from beneath the sheets, he placed it on the small of her back, letting his finger slide under her powder-blue scrubs.
“I’ve missed you too,” Ryan answered, letting all of it go. The revelation about his ex-wife had hit him like a ton of bricks. Thomas had gotten her pregnant. He was going to be part of this family now, a real part of it, and there was nothing Ryan could do about it.
He could do something about this though. He could do something about the beautiful and amazing woman who wanted to be closer to him, who appreciated him on so many levels.
“We need to go out again,” he said as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
“I thought that was what we were doing now,” she purred.
“Detective Devereux,” a familiar voice called out from the doorway. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to . . .”
“That’s okay,” Michelle said, quickly pulling away. “I was just leaving.” She turned back to Ryan. “You know where to find me.”
“What are you doing here?” Ryan asked, seeing Mr. Abernathy walk through the door.
“I just wanted to stop by and check on you, to make sure you were okay,” he said, placing a white plastic bag on the counter. “I picked you up some chicken and waffles from that little place on the corner.”
“Jestine’s?” Ryan asked. “Thank you, but you didn’t have to do that.”
“It’s not a problem,” his former professor answered. “I heard what happened to you. Something about a boat explosion?” He cocked his head to the right.
“Yes,” Ryan answered. “I was working a case when . . . it’s a long story.”
Truth be told, Ryan had relived that moment enough. The last thing he wanted to do was go through it all again. Though he had a feeling that wouldn’t matter too much to Rufus. He’d always been one to live for the details, to ask every little mundane question he could think of, no matter the subject matter.
“I’ve got time,” he answered.
“Well,” Ryan sighed. “I was visiting Foggy King when I heard a gunshot. I ran inside but by the time I got there, he’d already been shot. He died almost instantly.”
“That’s terrible,” Rufus said. “Do you have any idea why someone would want to murder Foggy?”
