Witchin' USA (A Moonstone Bay Cozy Mystery Book 1) Page 26

  “Oh, my dear, I hope you have better dreams than this.” Ned remained calm as he leaned back in his seat and pinned me with a dark look. “Well, you’ve made a real mess of things, haven’t you?”

  That was rich coming from him. “I’m pretty sure I’m not the one who has been going around killing old women.”

  Ned narrowed his eyes. “What do you mean?”

  It didn’t occur to me until exactly that moment that Ned had no idea Galen was onto him. Or, well, on to his plan. I figured I could play with that information, use it to my advantage. “The women you’ve been killing,” I supplied, my voice raspy. I was desperate for a drink of water, but uncomfortable asking Ned for it given his propensity to poison people. “You’ve been poisoning them in the hopes of getting their property, although I have no idea how you thought that would work over the long haul.”

  “Who told you that?”

  I saw no reason to lie. “Galen. He’s tied all three deaths together.”

  “I haven’t heard anything about that.”

  “I don’t think murder discussions are the same as random gossip, even on an island as weird as Moonstone Bay.”

  “I see.” Ned’s eyes drifted to the water, his fingers lightly tracing over his chin as he debated something. “How long has he known?”

  I shrugged. “He didn’t say. I believe he had his suspicions after May. He was certain after Bonnie. You should’ve arranged for her to wash up in a different spot.”

  “She wasn’t supposed to wash up at all,” Ned barked, his frustration evident. “I drove miles away from the island. I looked at the tide maps before heading out. She was supposed to disappear, not die.”

  Huh. That was interesting. “Why?”

  “Because I was worried that Galen – even though he’s terminally stupid most days – might eventually tie things together,” Ned replied. “I won’t have the funds to buy Bonnie’s property for a bit. I figured they would eventually declare her dead and put her property up for auction. But that could take months. Hell, it could take years. It would give me the time I needed.”

  I felt sick to my stomach. “And all of this is because you wanted property?”

  “You make it sound so simple,” Ned sneered. “It’s not that simple. I’ve been trying to buy property on this island for twenty years. No one ever sells. The property always passes on to some relative … even ones I’ve never considered, like you.”

  I pursed my lips. “Bummer for you, huh?”

  “Yes, indeed.”

  “I still don’t understand why the property is so important to you,” I prodded. “You live on the island. You run a business here. Why do you need to own property? Is it a status symbol or something?”

  “I would like to say that it’s that easy, but there’s a variety of reasons,” Ned replied. “Moonstone Bay is unique. I think you’ve already ascertained that.”

  “I have.”

  “Owning property here is more than status. The island itself is magical. If you own property, you can apply to become a member of the DDA. With that position comes real power.”

  “What in the heck is up with this DDA?” I asked, dumbfounded. “I’ve heard nothing but terrifying things about the group since I landed.”

  “That’s because they’re powerful and they want to operate in a way that instills fear. I can respect that.”

  “So you decided to kill three helpless little old ladies because you wanted a spot on the DDA? That’s just … so much worse than I was expecting.”

  Ned snorted, disdainful. “May was hardly helpless.”

  “I guess that’s why you waited until she was sick to put your plan into action, huh?” I wanted to yank out his hair, slam my fist in his face and shove his head below the surface of the water until he stopped kicking. I didn’t have the strength. My body was slowly recovering, but I was nowhere near full strength. “She knew. She knew it was you who wanted her dead.”

  “No, she didn’t.”

  My mind flitted to May’s panicked reaction on the third floor. “She knew. I don’t think she remembered that she knew, but she warned us right before you knocked. She told us the man who killed her was at the lighthouse.”

  “She told you?” Ned arched a dubious eyebrow. “She’s dead.”

  “That doesn’t mean her spirit isn’t around,” I argued. “She’s been popping in for visits.”

  “I guess I should’ve expected that,” Ned said, shaking his head. “She was too stubborn to just float into an afterlife.”

  “She’ll tell Galen what you did to her.”

  “Yes, but Galen can’t use a ghost’s words as testimony,” Ned pointed out. “Even on Moonstone Bay the words of the dead can’t be used as evidence.”

  That was disappointing. It was hardly my only weapon, though. “You stabbed Booker. Galen will be out looking for you. He’ll make you pay for what you’ve done.”

  “Booker will be dead before anyone gets to him,” Ned said. “Galen may very well return to the lighthouse – you guys have gotten extremely close in a short amount of time – but Booker won’t survive until the end of Galen’s shift.

  “In fact, the more that I think about it, the happier I am that it happened this way,” he continued. “Your disappearance will be talked about for weeks to come. People will tie Booker’s death to it, but they won’t quite know how he played into the scenario. Eventually it will become an urban legend of sorts, and when I buy the lighthouse and open it to tourists they will ask about the story and wonder if it’s haunted.”

  He seemed awfully sure of himself. “How do you figure that Booker’s death will be tied to my disappearance in a way that benefits you?”

  “Because you’re gone and he’s dead. What other suspects does Galen have?”

  “I don’t know about suspects, but he has another witness.”

  “I already told you that May doesn’t count.”

  “She might not be able to testify, but she can tell Galen what she saw,” I said. “She was on the third floor when you arrived. She told us about you.” That was a bit of an overstatement, but Ned didn’t need to know that. “She can tell Galen what you did. He might not be able to use the information in court, but that won’t stop him from going after you.”

  Ned shifted on his seat. The boat wasn’t large – a mid-sized speedboat – but it was expensive. It was clear that Ned Baxter was a man of means. Even though I wasn’t sure how much credence he’d give my threat, for the first time since I woke in the middle of the ocean Ned looked a bit worried.

  “He won’t be able to prove it.”

  “What if there’s another witness? A live witness, mind you.”

  Ned stilled, his hands gripping the arms of his chair. “And who would that be?”

  “The person who was upstairs with me at the time of your visit.” I let my tone cross into haughty territory. “I wasn’t the only one on the third floor when May arrived.”

  “Booker is dead.”

  “I’m not talking about Booker.”

  Ned was grim as he leaned forward, the thin veneer of pleasantness he managed to maintain at the start of the conversation completely eroding. “And who was that?”

  “Oh, I can’t tell you that.” I was in an untenable position, but that didn’t stop me from taunting my would-be killer. “That’s not playing fair, is it?”

  “You bitch!” Ned lashed out, striking me across the face. I wanted to be strong and pretend the blow didn’t hurt, but I couldn’t stop myself from crying out. “I will rip your heart out!”

  I cradled my cheek as I shrank back, pressing my back to the side of the boat as I glared at him. “That won’t stop you from going to jail for the rest of your life. Heck, I wouldn’t be surprised if Galen decided to kill you rather than arrest you.”

  “Galen is an idiot!”

  “He stopped you last night, didn’t he?” I played a hunch. I had no idea if Ned was a wolf shifter, but it seemed to make sense. “How did you know I
went out to Wesley’s place? Did you follow me?”

  “I’ve been watching you for days,” Ned seethed. “I was hoping you would be reasonable and sell me the lighthouse, but you decided to be an idiot instead.”

  “That’s a woman’s prerogative, isn’t it?”

  Ned ignored my attempt at sarcasm. “I hoped you would frighten easily, but that wasn’t really an option since Galen decided to attach himself to you. I’ve never seen him show so much attention to a woman he barely knows. He became your shadow almost from the moment you met.”

  “That’s probably because you sent a drunk to go after me with an ax.”

  “I didn’t send Mark to kill you,” Ned clarified. “I sent him to frighten you. He was only supposed to mess up the bedroom, but apparently he took it a step too far. That’s not on me.”

  “The fact that you can say that with a straight face is dumbfounding,” I muttered, shaking my head. “What would you have done if he’d killed me?”

  “Cut his pay in half and then wait to see what happened next.”

  “And what do you think would’ve happened?”

  “I think the lighthouse would’ve gone up for auction, and I would’ve made sure I was the highest bidder.”

  Ned’s ego was apparently so big it needed its own ZIP code. “Except the lighthouse wouldn’t have gone up for auction. My father is a lawyer. I filed a new will before I even flew out of Detroit. I already have an heir in place.”

  Ned stilled. “Excuse me?”

  “My father. He would inherit.”

  “You didn’t mention that,” Ned raged. “Why would you do something like that?”

  “Because I’m not an idiot and my father is an attorney,” I replied, not missing a beat. “Even without a will, my father would inherit. I wanted to make sure that everything was legal and he wouldn’t have to jump through a lot of hoops if something happened. If there’s one thing my father knows, it’s the law.”

  “But … .” Ned was flabbergasted. “He hasn’t even visited this island.”

  “That doesn’t mean he’s not my heir.”

  “You stupid … son of a … !” Ned’s face turned red as he grabbed the front of my shirt and shook me. “Are you trying to ruin my life?”

  I fought to control my breathing as he bobbed in front of my face. “That’s only a bonus as far as I’m concerned.”

  “I am going to kill you!”

  28

  Twenty-Eight

  I instinctively lurched to the side to avoid Ned’s outstretched hands, lashing out with my foot and catching him at the knee. He howled, doubling over in pain, and I did the only thing I could think to do.

  It took all of my strength to struggle to my knees and lean over the side of the boat. The shore was a long way off – it seemed miles – but I had no other choice. If I remained in the boat Ned would surely kill me. If I jumped into the water I’d have a chance, however minimal.

  My arms and legs didn’t want to move as fast as I hoped, so I ended up flopping over the side of the boat rather than jumping. I hit the water face first. Initially I sank, the water threatening to devour me, but my reflexes kicked in and I managed to break the surface with a few kicks, and gulp in a huge mouthful of oxygen before panic overtook me.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” Ned asked, as if annoyed by a small child.

  I didn’t bother glancing in his direction, instead stroking away from the boat and pointing myself toward Moonstone Bay. I had no idea how to gauge distance – especially at sea – but I figured it would take me a long time to swim back to shore.

  “Do you really think you can swim away from me?” Ned was incredulous. “It’s two miles back to the island.”

  Two miles? That was actually better than I’d initially thought. “I guess it will take me a little bit then, huh?” I kept my eyes focused on the small strip of land so I had something to work toward.

  “Get in the boat.”

  “No.”

  “Get back in the boat.”

  “No way.”

  “Get back in the boat or I’ll kill you,” Ned threatened.

  “I hate to break it to you, but that threat has absolutely zero clout with me,” I shot back. “You’re going to kill me if I get on the boat. At least this way I have a chance at escape.”

  “How do you figure that?”

  Was that a trick question? “I’m going to swim to shore.”

  “Do you really think I’m going to let you do that?”

  Ned’s voice got harder to hear with every stroke. I was determined to put distance between us, and the water lapping around my ears served to drown his voice. “I don’t see as you have much choice.”

  “I could kill you.”

  “You have a knife and would have to jump in the water to kill me.”

  “Do you think I won’t do that?”

  “Probably not, because that would mean a lack of control for you.”

  Ned was quiet for a long moment. “I have more than the knife.”

  His voice was chilling, but I refused to glance over my shoulder and confirm the evil expression I was certain I’d find on his face. “I don’t care.”

  “I have something else below deck.”

  “Good for you.”

  “It’s a gun.”

  My heart skipped a beat, but I remained facing toward the island. “How great for you.”

  “I will get it, Hadley.”

  “I guess you have to do what you have to do.”

  “Son of a … !” The waves drowned out the rest of his words. I heard him stomping on the boat deck. “I’m going to get the gun. You’re making this harder on yourself than you have to.”

  “Whatever.” I increased my speed when I was certain Ned had gone below deck. I couldn’t outrun a gun, but perhaps I could get far enough away while he searched for his weapon that he would choose to flee rather than pursue. It was probably a vain hope, but it was all I had.

  I counted in my head as I stroked, rationalizing that each number brought me closer to shore even though the island still seemed so small. I thought I caught a hint of movement in the water, but refused to divert my gaze from the island. It was a distraction, and given my fuzzy head the last thing I needed was a distraction.

  The physical exertion and cool water helped with the brain mush. I was even thirstier than before, but all I had around me was saltwater.

  I saw the flash of movement a second time and gritted my teeth. This time I was certain something was in the water with me. The first thing that popped into my head was a shark. I knew shark shifters weren’t a thing on the island, so that meant it was probably a real shark and I was about to become lunch.

  I pressed my eyes shut, forcing myself to focus on steady stroking. I’d lost track of Ned and didn’t hear anything from the boat – which I’d managed to leave behind thanks to my determination – but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t pursue me.

  I jolted when something surfaced in the water next to me, instinctively lashing out. My fingers brushed against something slimy – something I was certain was a fin of some sort – but my hand ultimately contacted skin when it landed.

  “What the … ?”

  I thought my heart would burst out of my chest when I opened my eyes and found Aurora keeping pace with me.

  “Good morning.” Aurora’s smile was quick and bright. “Nice day for a swim, huh?”

  “Yeah,” I choked out, my eyes going wide as I scanned the water and realized the fin I felt belonged to Aurora. Her entire bottom half, in fact, was a fin. “You’re a mermaid!”

  “I’m a siren,” Aurora corrected, moving a bit closer. “Do you know how far out you are?”

  “I have no idea. What’s a siren?”

  “It’s basically a mermaid, but I don’t like that term. It’s far too … Disney. Sirens are stronger than mermaids. They’re cooler, too.”

  “But you have a fin.”

  “I do,” Aurora confirmed, her auburn-
highlighted hair streaming in the water as she moved alongside me. “We have a problem. You realize that, right?”

  “You mean other than the fact that you have a fin?”

  Aurora leaned in closer and stared into my eyes. “Have you been drugged?”

  “He stuck me with something. I can’t make my head work. I’m not even sure how I’m managing to swim.”

  “Ned?”

  “How did you know?”

  “Galen sent me looking for you when he realized what happened at the lighthouse,” Aurora replied. “He’s not in a good mood. I would hate to be Ned when he gets his hands on him.”

  “How did Galen know to look for me in the water?”

  “Booker told him that Ned had a boat and was leading you toward water last time he saw you.”

  Hope clawed through me. “Is Booker alive?”

  “He’s injured, but he’s alive,” Aurora replied. “Don’t worry about that.” She risked a glance over her shoulder when she heard a boat engine roar, as if coming to life, and then immediately die. “I know you’re confused and you don’t know what to make of this, but we don’t have much time.

  “I would like to let you get to a place of acceptance on your own but I honestly don’t think that’s possible,” she continued. “I need you to trust me.”

  “All I know about you is that you like to swim naked,” I admitted, my eyes going to her fin again. “I guess that makes sense.”

  “There’s no sense wearing a bathing suit, because I would rip it when shifting,” Aurora explained. “We can talk about that later. We need to deal with the here and now.”

  The boat engine roared again but didn’t catch.

  “How do you suggest we do that?” Now that Aurora had found me and I had more hope of escaping this mess than when I hit the water, the thought of dying in the ocean, of Ned winning, was completely unpalatable. “I can’t swim any faster. I can barely swim this fast.”

  “I know, and you’re fading.” Aurora’s expression was kind. “I need you to hold onto me, wrap your arms around my neck and hold on. I can get us back to shore faster by myself.”