Shauna’s nerves still vibrated from the sheriff’s reprimand. Had she messed up the investigation? She wanted the killer brought to justice with every fiber of her being.
She pulled up in front of a contemporary gray two-story overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The sheriff’s house was the last one in the city limits of Lavender Tides. Rumor had it that his wife’s money had paid for most of it since it had to be worth a million dollars. Shauna eyed the house as she parked her truck in the circle drive. Before she got out, she tried Lucy’s number again. Still no answer. Maybe she was still asleep.
Shauna got out and went to the massive door. She didn’t have a chance to press the doorbell before it swung open to reveal the Asian beauty she’d heard so much about.
The young woman’s hair was in a ponytail, and she wore bright-pink yoga pants and a skimpy exercise top. Her olive skin glistened with perspiration, and her cheeks were pink. “Good morning. You must be Shauna.”
Her voice had that smoky, husky tone men found so entrancing, but Shauna warmed immediately to the intelligence in her dark-brown sloe eyes.
“Guilty as charged.” She held out her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Burchell.”
“Call me Felicia.” Her handshake was firm and friendly. “Come on in. Everett is in the living room. I need to take a shower anyway, so the two of you can talk in private. But don’t run off. I’d love a chance to chat. This area is a little standoffish, and I haven’t gotten to know hardly anyone. Maybe you can give me the lay of the land.”
Shauna followed her and took in the home’s grandeur. The gleaming marble floors and huge living room with ceilings that soared at least twenty-feet high were impressive. A huge chandelier glittered down over a Persian rug warming the space. The place held the scent of Italian leather from the new red sofa. “Beautiful room.”
“Thank you. It was fun to decorate, and Everett let me do whatever I wanted. I’ll be back in a jiffy.” Felicia sent a final smile her way as the sheriff rose from a leather chair by the massive marble fireplace.
He pointed to the sofa. “Have a seat. Want something to drink?”
He capitalized on his dark good looks with an Elvis-style hairdo that glistened with product. Had he dyed it recently? She could have sworn he’d had some gray at the temples. He was handsome for a guy in his forties, though hardly in Felicia’s attractiveness category.
“No, I’m fine.” The leather still felt a little stiff to Shauna as she sank onto the couch. “Did you call my dad about the necklace?”
He nodded. “I didn’t get him, though. Stubborn man doesn’t have voice mail. I’ve already made some initial inquiries at some jewelry stores to determine where it was purchased. It’s rare for sure, but it might not be one of a kind. I’m going to show it to your father as well once I get it. Zach is dropping off the box at my office first thing this morning.”
Her father had become a drunk since her mother’s death. Any mention of her was sure to send him on a binge. “Could I look at it again first? I don’t want to bother Pop with it if it’s unnecessary.”
“Stop by the jail. I’ll tell them to let you see it. But you were only eight or ten when your mom died, weren’t you? I’m not so sure your memory of it is that clear.”
“I was eight. Mom never took it off. I played with it around her neck more times than I can count.”
He shrugged. “Have a look then to set your mind at ease.” A frown creased his forehead. “Have you spoken to Lucy this morning? I’ve called her three times but just got voice mail.”
Her back prickled with gooseflesh. “I called her on the way here, but she didn’t answer.” Shauna raised her hand to her mouth. “Sheriff, what if the person who killed Clarence is after Lucy now? She might be in danger!”
“We don’t know Clarence was killed. You’re jumping to conclusions.”
She failed to keep her voice steady. “I have a really bad feeling about this.”
He rolled his eyes but got up. “I’ll go check on her. Call her and tell her I’m on my way.”
She fumbled her phone from her handbag and called Lucy, but she landed in voice mail after four rings. “Lucy, don’t answer the door and keep it locked. The sheriff is on his way. We want to make sure you’re safe.”
Her hands shook as she ended the call and prayed for her friend’s safety.
The scent of fish and chips hung in the hallway. Morning traffic flowed past Lucy’s apartment complex as Zach rang her doorbell and waited. When she didn’t answer, he rang the bell again. Kids cried a few doors down, and he heard a woman’s voice soothing them. After a furtive glance around, two teenagers below him in the stairwell exchanged something. Probably a drug buy. This neighborhood was notorious for drugs.
He glanced at the door and bit back a gasp when he saw it ajar by about an inch. His neck prickling, he nudged it open a few more inches. “Lucy? It’s Zach.”
No answer. His pulse sped up when her cat, Weasley, zipped past him from inside and disappeared around the corner of the outside hallway. He started to go after it, then looked back at the entry. Something was wrong. Lucy was always safety conscious. She wouldn’t leave the door unlocked, let alone ajar.
He pushed it all the way open. “Lucy, I’m coming in.” After stepping inside, he was struck by a thick coppery smell.
Then he saw the first smear of blood, a handprint on the beige wall. Acid rose in his throat as he walked toward the hallway.
And there she was. Lucy lay curled in a fetal position on the hall floor. He squatted beside her and pressed his fingers against her carotid artery. No pulse. She had multiple stab wounds in her chest, and defensive slashes scored her palms. She’d obviously fought hard against her attacker. A knife lay a foot or so from her outstretched hand.
He stood and pulled out his phone to call the sheriff’s office when a strident voice called out, “Sheriff’s department. I’m coming in!”
Zach stepped into the other man’s view and held up his hand. “Over here, Sheriff.”
Burchell barreled through the doorway and hurried toward him. “What are you doing here, Bannister?” His brows drew together, and his nostrils flared.
“I came to check on Lucy. She was understandably upset last night, and I wanted her to know we cared. Someone got here before me. She’s dead, stabbed.” He moved out of the way and motioned for the sheriff to go around him to the hallway.
The sheriff stopped and heaved a sigh. “Did you touch anything?”
“Her neck. I was checking for a pulse. And the door when I came in.”
Burchell pulled out his phone and called in his forensic team. While he was talking, Zach wandered around the small apartment to look for clues, careful not to touch anything. A glass of spilled water pooled on the dingy counter, and a stool lay on its side. He suspected the sheriff would find the lock had been jimmied.
He stopped in the foyer and listened to the sheriff’s end of the conversation. His ears perked up when he heard Burchell say, “C-4 isn’t an easy explosive to get hold of. They’re sure?”
The sheriff ended the call and motioned for Zach to join him in the living room. “What time did you get here?”
“About five minutes ago. I rang the bell a couple of times, then noticed the door was ajar. Her cat got out too, by the way. I should probably go find it.”
Burchell’s dark-blue eyes narrowed. “You have an alibi for this morning?”
“What, you think I killed her? She and Clarence were good friends. I cared about her, about both of them.” When the sheriff continued to stare him down, Zach shrugged. “I was home alone from the time I dropped Shauna off at nine last night until I left the house this morning at seven. I stopped for gas, and you can probably find a video verifying it. I dropped the box off at your office at seven thirty, then had breakfast at the café before deciding to check on Lucy.”
Though Zach should have expected the suspicion, it still stung. His friendship with the Glennons was long-standing, but then, conventional wisdom said the murderer was usually someone close to the victim. The next thing the sheriff would say was that he was going to check out Shauna.
Zach’s gut clenched. This would devastate her. First Clarence and now Lucy. “This has to be connected to Clarence’s death. The C-4 proves it was no accident.”
“You were eavesdropping? This is my investigation, not yours.” The sheriff’s mouth flattened and he looked away for a moment, head bowed, before he faced Zach again. “I don’t know, but I’m going to keep an open mind about it. In this neighborhood, the perp could have been a punk looking to score. A knife is not usually an assassin’s weapon of choice.”
“You mind if I break the news to Shauna? This will be hard for her.”
The sheriff stared at him. “I’m going to be here awhile, and I’d rather she didn’t hear the news on TV, so yeah. And just in case, she shouldn’t be staying alone. She is the only witness to the explosion and the last person to talk to Clarence. If we’re dealing with the same killer, she could be the guy’s next target.”
Footsteps pounded up the stairwell, and the forensic team arrived at the door. The sheriff grabbed Zach’s shoulder and pushed him toward the exit. “Get out of here, and let us do our work.”
Zach stepped out into the hallway, and Lucy’s orange tabby peered at him from under the railing. He stooped and held out his hand. “Come here, Weasley. I’ll scrounge up some food for you.” The cat crawled out a few inches and licked his hand. He scooped it up. “Let’s go see Shauna.”