Dark Harbor. Christy Barritt
you in his crosshairs—figuratively, of course.”
She frowned. “Of course.”
“I can’t believe at this point that this is random—that someone simply saw you driving down Lankford Highway, decided to follow you and this chain of events is a result.”
“I agree that sounds like a stretch. But I really don’t have any good ideas for you.”
“Usually in cases like this, we look at the people closest to you. I know you said there’s no boyfriend or ex-boyfriend. But maybe you have an admirer or even an ex-boyfriend who’s in your distant past, whom you haven’t heard from in years.”
She stood as the coffee finished perking, grabbed a mug and poured a cup for him. “Cream or sugar?”
“Just black. Thanks.”
She brought him the drink and grabbed a cup for herself before sitting down again. Tight lines stretched across her face, and her movements looked stiff, almost stoic.
She sighed before saying, “I really have no idea. I haven’t had any serious boyfriends. I have no secret admirers. I have no blatant admirers for that matter. I mostly just have my career.”
Zach found that hard to believe. He’d guess there were plenty of guys who wouldn’t mind dating someone like Madelyn Sawyer. She was pretty, her eyes were kind and when she smiled it could take someone’s breath away. The woman was probably so focused on her career that she didn’t notice. She seemed like the driven type.
“Okay, how about family? Any arguments or fights or bad blood?”
She shook her head, her hands trembling against her coffee mug. “No, I have no family.”
“None at all?” Certainly they were just estranged. She was too young to be all alone.
“None. I was an only child, and my parents died in a car crash.” It sounded like it took all of her energy just to say that.
Zach had the impulse to reach forward and grab Madelyn’s hand. Of course he didn’t. It wouldn’t be professional. Instead, he said, “I’m sorry.”
She nodded, but the action was tight. Grief shone in waves through her eyes. “Thank you.”
He snapped back to the investigation, trying to push away any concern and to deny his strange urge to offer her comfort. “How about coworkers? Any of them have a grudge against you?”
She stared out the window a moment. “I write travel articles. It’s not like I’m a critic who tears apart movies or restaurants. I don’t write about crime. I help towns get business. The office staff is small. It’s just me, my editor and a couple of other full-timers. Everyone else is freelance. We all get along.”
He frowned. “So there’s really no one? This doesn’t give us much to go on.”
Madelyn pulled her sleeves down farther over her hands and rubbed them together. She appeared so alone, so lost. “I’m sorry. I wish I had more. I haven’t seen anything. I haven’t talked to anyone or had any confrontations with strangers. I’m pretty sure I haven’t even looked at anyone the wrong way.”
“That sounds pretty thorough.”
She frowned. “So what should I do? Should I listen to the man’s threat and go home?”
“I can’t make that decision for you.” Part of Zach thought that sounded like the best idea of all. But there was no guarantee someone wouldn’t follow her wherever she went. Plus, Zach never liked to give in to pressure caused by bullies.
He knew all about that.
He’d held his ground and ended up losing his job because of it.
Madelyn’s eyelids drooped, and she still hadn’t touched her coffee. She was exhausted, he realized. He stood, feeling like he’d done all he could do here.
“I should let you get some rest. Call me if you need me.”
“Will do. Thank you again.” She started to stand.
Zach held up a hand to stop her. “I can walk myself out. Really.”
He lumbered down the steps. At the bottom landing, he saw a piece of paper that had fallen against the wall. He picked it up and started to call for Madelyn when the words there caught his eye.
“Zach B. Davis
30 years old
Originally from Richmond, Virginia.”
Was this Madelyn’s? Why would the regional reporter have personal information written out about him? Wasn’t she here to do a travel piece on the town?
His back muscles suddenly went rigid. She may come off as being kind and sweet, but that didn’t mean she was.
He needed to keep an eye on Madelyn Sawyer, that was for sure. One wrong move, and she could ruin everything.
* * *
Madelyn had awakened the next morning with a new determination to investigate Zach Davis. When he’d shown up at her duplex last night, she’d found herself softening, opening up. She had to remember her mission—she needed to put professional distance between her and the subject of her article.
She glanced across the beach now. The sun set in the distance, streaking royal colors across the sky. She was a guest of honor at an oyster roast. The event was amazing. Mayor Alan was hosting it at his place, which was located on a long, private stretch of beach. A band played on a makeshift stage closer to the house, tables full of seafood had been laid out and people were readily engaging in the feast there. The smell of seafood, unappealing when she’d first arrived in town, now seemed alluring.
She’d spent the day with Eva Rogers, the town’s publicity manager, and had taken a tour of the retail area. They’d gone in various shops that featured items from local artists. They’d had coffee at The Java House. Then lunch at a seafood restaurant called Jim Buoy’s.
Later, a horse and carriage had eased them down the town’s streets and offered amazing views of some of the character-rich homes. A historian had joined them and had given Madelyn an account of the town from all the way back in the day when the area had been a bustling port and a playground for wealthy hunters and fishermen.
Despite herself, Madelyn was fascinated by everything she learned. She hadn’t thought she’d enjoy hearing about or seeing the town like she did. But the community was quaint and friendly and had something Madelyn had been seeking for her entire adult life: belonging. Her car had even been personally delivered back to her today with a note that the repair was “on the house.”
If she would allow herself to forget about the threats she’d encountered since leaving Maryland for the sleepy town, she might actually enjoy this place. Those things remained in the back of her mind, though. As did the real reason for her being here.
She glanced across the crowd again and spotted the one person she’d come to town to research. Zach Davis.
He was here at the oyster roast, talking with a group of people near the large grill. He’d dressed casually in jeans and a well-fitting T-shirt. He didn’t seem like the life-of-the-party type, but instead he stood back, engaging in the conversations around him in an easy-going manner. His back was never toward the crowd, and she’d caught him scanning his environment several times.
He seemed calm and steady, not the least bit impulsive or flighty, Madelyn mused. Maybe he hadn’t always been like this. Maybe he’d sobered after the fiasco in Baltimore. She couldn’t draw her conclusions too quickly, though. Even if she’d come into town with a different image of the man than the one he presented, that didn’t mean he was innocent.
As he glanced up, she quickly looked away.
“He’s quite handsome, isn’t he?” Eva suddenly appeared at her side. She carried a plate of oysters in one hand and a tall, dewy glass of a cheerful-looking drink in the