Chapter 7
SEVEN
The boathouse was locked up tight, with a sign hanging from a nail on the front: Be Back in Fifteen Minutes. Sunlight beat down on Jonah's shoulders as he tried the handle anyway. Locked. “Could he still be inside even though it's locked?”
“Yes.” Laney gestured for him to step aside and used a key from the ring on her belt. Scout waited patiently at her side, ears pricked.
Jonah gently pushed past her as the door swung open. “Let me go first.”
She looked annoyed, but didn't fight him on it.
The boathouse was dim and cool, water lapping at the edges of the dock. Kayaks and canoes lined up neatly on metal racks. Life jackets of various sizes hung from hooks along the far wall. Everything appeared in order, but there was no sign of Eddie.
The door swung shut behind them with a soft thud.
“Hello? Eddie?” Laney called out, moving past him toward the small office in the corner. Its door stood open, light spilling out. She leaned in, then gestured to the computer. “He's logged in. And his truck's in the parking lot. He's definitely here.”
The main entrance creaked open. A man entered, looking pale and drawn, sweat beading on his forehead.
Eddie, Jonah presumed. He wore the staff uniform, which consisted of a polo shirt and cargo pants.
His boots were dusty. Gray threaded through his hair at the temples.
Despite his hunched shoulders, it was clear Eddie was in shape, with the tan of someone who spent a lot of time outdoors.
Scout scooted closer to Laney, taking a protective posture.
Eddie startled when he spotted them. “Good morning, ma’am.” His gaze flickered to Jonah. “You must be Ranger Foster.” He let the door swing shut behind him and approached with his hand outstretched. Eddie cast a wary look toward Scout, suggesting the mistrust was mutual.
Jonah shook Eddie’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“Same.” He withdrew his hand and used the heel to wipe a bead of sweat from his forehead. “It’s a scorcher out there today. I keep waiting for the weather to cool off, but it seems we might have to wait a bit longer.”
“Where were you?” Laney's tone was polite, but her gaze sharp. “I noticed you clocked in late, and the boathouse is supposed to remain open.”
“I went to the mess hall for something to settle my stomach.” He lifted the ginger ale. “Been fighting some kind of stomach bug all morning. That's why I was late. Thought about calling in sick, but we're so short-staffed right now, I didn't want to leave you guys hanging.”
Laney's posture relaxed slightly. Eddie, however, remained jittery. His attention jumped between his boss and Jonah. “Is something wrong? Is this about the murders? The staff was talking about at the mess hall. Horrible.”
“Yes, it is. The couple that died, Ava Morrison and Tyler Chen, rented a kayak yesterday afternoon.” Laney glanced at Jonah, indicating he should take the lead, while simultaneously reaching down to pet Scout. The dog's posture remained stiff. “We wanted to ask you some questions about that.”
“Of course. How can I help?”
Jonah decided to start off easy, hoping to put Eddie at ease and get him talking. “What time did they rent the kayak for?”
“Let me check.” He headed into the office and used the mouse to navigate to the schedule.
“Four in the afternoon. But I vaguely remember they were running late. I saw their photos on the news this morning and remembered them. They were so happy together. Laughing and joking. They seemed great together.”
“Was anyone else in here when they arrived?”
“Uhhh, a family with two kids.” Eddie stared at the ceiling as if he was running back through the events. “Yeah, yeah. I remember the young lady…”
“Ava,” Laney supplied.
“Yeah, Ava.” He gave Laney a soft smile of thanks. “She helped one kid put on his lifejacket. She was a natural. I wanted to ask her to volunteer for us sometime, but then another couple came in and I forgot. We’re pretty busy in the afternoon when school gets out. Lots of families and teens.”
“Did you sense any tension between Ava and Tyler?” Jonah asked. “Notice anyone paying attention to them in any way?”
“No.” Eddie popped open the can of ginger ale.
“Like I said, they seemed great together. We went through the instructions, but it was brief. They both informed me they were regular kayakers. From the way they maneuvered out of the boathouse and onto the lake, they were telling the truth about that.”
“And what time did they bring the kayak back?”
Eddie took a sip of his drink and consulted the schedule.
“They had a two-hour rental, so it must’ve been around six.
Could’ve been a bit before or after. Like I said, that time of day is busy for us.
We close up at seven, so lots of people are returning their kayaks and canoes.
Plus, the high school rowing team practice goes from three to six. It’s mayhem.”
Something felt off, but Jonah couldn’t put his finger on what it was.
Eddie had relaxed while they talked, but he fidgeted a lot.
Nervous energy. It was the best way to describe it.
Shuffling papers, taking a drink, his leg jittering.
Could be the man had an abundance of energy—some people couldn’t sit still—or it could be a sign that he was worried.
Jonah didn’t know him well enough to tell.
“After they returned the kayak, did you see Ava and Tyler later that night? At the mess hall, perhaps?”
“No. My shift ended a little after seven, and I went straight home.”
Jonah glanced at his left hand. No wedding ring. “Do you live alone?”
Eddie stilled. “Why are you asking?”
“Routine questions. Nothing to worry about. We’re asking them of everyone.”
“Oh.” He paused. “Yeah, I live alone. Ate a frozen dinner and watched a football game.” Eddie rolled his eyes. “Not very exciting, but..” He shrugged. “I don’t get out much.”
“What game did you watch?”
“Cowboys and Eagles. Caught the second half.”
An easy thing to verify. “See any of your neighbors around? Did you talk to anyone?”
His gaze dropped to the desk, and he fiddled with the tab on his ginger ale. “Nope.”
Liar. But that didn’t make him a killer. Jonah made a mental note to do a thorough background check. If he had a criminal record, it would have been flagged by the TDPW when he was hired, but that’d been years ago. How often were the backgrounds redone? He’d ask Laney later.
“Thanks for your help.” Jonah extended a hand for Eddie to shake. “Hope you feel better soon.”
“Appreciate it.” Eddie appeared relieved to have the interview over.
“Are you sure you can complete your shift today?” Laney asked. “I can have someone else cover for you.”
“I’ll let you know if things get worse, but I’m okay for now.” Eddie gave her a nod. “Thanks, though.”
“Sure thing.”
They stepped out of the boathouse and into the sunshine. Jonah’s hat shielded his face, but his eyes squinted at the drastic change in light. The lake looked cool and inviting. Some ducks swam by, creating ripples on the smooth surface.
Laney made sure the boat door stayed open before joining him on the trail leading back to the visitor center. “What do you think?”
“He’s lying about where he was last night, and he was jittery. How often do you recheck criminal records?”
“Rangers are checked annually, but administrative employees—like Eddie—are checked every five years.”
“How long has he worked here?”
“About ten years.”
“He doesn’t like Scout much.”
“No, but no one’s perfect.” Laney laid a hand on his arm, pulling him to a stop under the shade of an oak tree.
“Eddie's an outstanding employee. He gets top marks on his reviews every time.
He's a team player, and to my knowledge, no one has ever had a bad thing to say about him.
Last year was the only exception. His dad had Parkinson's and passed away, and then Eddie went through a divorce.
He showed up late frequently and made mistakes, but he's pulled it together since then. He's not a cold-blooded killer.”
“They don’t wear signs, Laney.”
“Check yourself there, Foster.” Her tone was level, but there was a hint of anger thrumming through it. “I may not have as many years of investigative experience as you do, but I’m not a rookie. Don’t treat me like one.”
He deserved that. Jonah blew out a breath. “Yeah. I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.”
“So was pushing me out of the way to enter the boathouse first. I’m not helpless.”
“No, but there’s not a chance on planet Earth that I’m going to let you walk into potential danger first.” She opened her mouth to argue, but he shook his head hard.
“It’s not because you aren’t capable. I know you are.
But you’re also my best friend, and I’m going to keep you safe at all costs. It’s who I am, Laney.”
Their gazes met, and her expression softened. Jonah realized that what he’d said may have revealed a bit too much, so he booped her on the nose because he knew it would irritate her. “Build a bridge and get over it.”
She swatted his hand away. “You’re annoying. Why do you always make it so hard to stay mad at you?”
“It’s part of my charm.”
He was rewarded with a brilliant smile that stole his breath. Laney’s chocolate-brown eyes crinkled at the corners as she tried to muster up the energy to continue the argument but couldn’t. It was a lost cause anyway. Jonah respected Laney to his core, but he wouldn’t apologize for protecting her.
A scream ripped through the air.