Chapter 6
Burke eased his friend’s boat through choppy waves to the Ravenhook Island dock and checked his watch—precisely six-ten a.m. On the other side of the long pier, the ferry’s mooring lines strained as the large vessel bobbed in the water.
He secured the last knot for the boat, then satisfied it wasn’t going anywhere, he scanned the mansion’s stairs.
What? Why in the world was Abby here so early when they were meeting at eight?
Not only here on the island, but she’d slipped under the crime scene tape deep in conversation with two people he didn’t recognize. She wore a razor-sharp business suit and combed her windblown hair back with her fingers.
An aqua blue cooler sat at her feet, and in front of them, a pair of hand trucks held stacks of large plastic storage bins.
A tall blonde stood behind one stack, her hair catching the breeze as if she were filming a shampoo commercial.
The guy next to Abby looked like he’d been dragged off a football field—broad shoulders, cargo pants, and a T-shirt that read: Off Duty.
Try Not to Ruin It. Judging by his scowl, he meant every word.
Had she arrived early in hopes of one-upping him? Sure, she claimed not to be that kind of person, but was she really? He’d stupidly hoped she wasn’t. Trusted in her words. Trusted her as a former law enforcement officer.
Surprise. He’d fallen victim to another woman’s distrustful actions.
But the biggest surprise? The ache in his gut over being attracted to a woman who wasn’t who he thought she was. Just like Tiffany, though the stakes were much lower here. But what if Abby hadn’t shown her true colors yet, and he’d ended up getting involved with her?
Foolish. Just foolish thoughts. Keep your mind on the job.
He grabbed his clipboard from the boat and set off at a rapid pace, but the soles of his slick dress shoes slipped.
He slowed to keep his feet out of the standing water and to avoid face-planting on the wet dock.
He should’ve dressed casually today, but he always wore suits to work.
Some might say he was rigid. At worst, he believed he was predictable.
Once on solid ground, he stormed ahead, trying to release his anger at her with every step, but it grew instead.
Abby looked his way, then leaned in and whispered something to the brawny guy next to her. Eyes the color of cold ice gave Burke the once-over—head to toe—sizing him up. He clearly wasn’t impressed.
Burke stopped in front of Deputy Ewing, whose shift had been extended due to a lack of resources, and now recorded the names of all crime scene visitors. “I gave you strict orders last night. No one was allowed on scene without my permission.”
Even more color drained from his already pasty face. “They said they were working with you.” His words seemed to barely make it past a closing throat.
At the young guy’s strangled reply, Burke almost felt bad about taking him to task, especially when he’d worked most of the night and had to be tired.
But Ewing had a promising future. If he learned to follow directions at all times.
If he didn’t, it could cost him his life or the lives of others.
At crime scenes, if he didn’t keep out potential contamination, the case could get thrown out of court and a murderer set free.
“I am working with them.” Burke kept his gaze pinned to the young man. “But I particularly mentioned Day and her team weren’t allowed on site.”
“Yes, sir.” Ewing ringed his finger around his collar. “I won’t make the same mistake again.”
“See that you don’t. We don’t want dangerous criminals escaping prosecution because we didn’t properly manage a crime scene.”
Ewing bobbed his head and lifted up the fluttering yellow tape, probably hoping Burke was done reading him the riot act and would leave him alone.
But Burke wanted to drive this important lesson home.
“The housekeeper, Sylvia Bass, and the estate manager, Ugo Morell, will be arriving this afternoon. I want to be notified the moment they get here, and you are not to let them inside the perimeter. And be sure to check with me before allowing access to anyone else who shows up while you’re on duty. ”
“Yes, sir.” Ewing lifted the scene barrier higher.
Burke dipped under the tape and turned his focus to Abby and her team. He didn’t want to call another person out, but he had to set standards at the beginning of their work relationship.
Preparing himself for an argument, he took the stairs two at a time to the landing at the base of the crumbling stairs. “After you pulled this little stunt, I have half a mind to cancel our partnership.”
“Hey now.” The chiseled guy at her side raised his hands and stepped forward. “I need you to back off.”
“It’s okay, Gabe.” Abby grabbed his forearm. “Detective Ulrich might sound like a real tough guy, but he’s harmless.” She shifted her attention to Burke, her mouth turning down at the corners. “What stunt are you talking about?”
He didn’t know if she was playing dumb or if she really was clueless. “Arriving here before the time we arranged to meet. Crossing the crime scene barrier when you knew I didn’t want you to. Probably hoping to question Lemoine without me and keep the information to yourself.”
Her nostrils flared. “Before you jump to conclusions, how about looking at the ferry schedule? We had two choices. Six or nine a.m. You’re a smart guy. Do the math. Which one would you take not to be late for an eight o’clock appointment?”
His anger deflated. He’d let his temper get the best of him, jump to conclusions, and made a fool of himself in front of people he hadn’t even met. But he wouldn’t retreat.
“Right. Sorry.” He ducked his head to show the sincerity of his apology. “So, are we good to move forward?”
She gave a sharp nod, but he could tell she didn’t agree. She turned to Gabe. “Let me officially introduce you to Gabe Irving. I guess you can figure out he’s on our team, but you might not know he’s a former Oregon state trooper.”
Burke offered his hand in a gesture of goodwill. “Hopefully we can move past this too.”
Gabe shook hands as if he was trying to dislodge Burke’s arm from his shoulder. “Just know I have my eyes on you.”
The warning didn’t surprise him. “Understood.”
“And behind the storage bins is Samantha Griffin.” Abby spun. “She’s the fabulous forensic expert I told you about.”
He was glad Sheriff Ryder had decided to pay her for her services. “Thank you for coming at such short notice, Samantha.”
“Sam.” The tall, slender woman with friendly greenish-blue eyes smiled. “Everyone calls me Sam.”
He nodded toward the bins. “Let me help you get these up the steps.”
“I got it.” She quickly tipped back the hand truck. “And before you’re impressed with my brute strength, you should know the bins are empty for evidence storage.” She chuckled.
Burke laughed with her. “All the same, I’d feel better about helping.”
“Hey, no worries.” Gabe pushed back from the other cart. “I’ve got nothing to prove, so feel free. Take my stack. And before you start up the steps, these aren’t empty.”
Well played! The guy left Burke with no choice but to go over to the other stack.
Not if he didn’t want to have another altercation.
He wasn’t certain about having Gabe around.
Could be problematic. Was he here because Abby wanted to include him in the investigation?
If he was on the LLL team, he certainly had to possess redeeming qualities.
“After you all.” Burke motioned for them to go ahead and grabbed the hand truck, the metal cold beneath his fingers.
Abby picked up the cooler, and they all started up the stairway.
While the others went ahead, Burke took his time, getting a better look at the surrounding area.
Daylight removed some of the intimidation from last night.
In fact, the sun sparkling through the trees brought a sense of peace.
Not so, once he caught sight of the building itself.
The shutters appeared as if mere threads kept them attached, and a good percentage of the dark blue, almost black paint had chipped away from the siding.
Several tiles were missing from the slate roof, and their once dark-gray color had faded into a lighter pewter.
The massive wooden front door, though impressive in size and intricate carvings, was weather-worn and needed a good refinishing.
The broken basement window stood wide open to the elements.
Victor was neglecting his property, and the place would fall into ruin if he didn’t act.
If the man couldn’t convince himself to go outside, he could at least have his estate manager take pictures to share with him.
Or maybe he’d done that, and he just didn’t care.
Burke couldn’t understand his behavior. Not at all.
If he ever owned property, no matter how busy he was in life, he’d respect God’s blessing and do his best to care for it.
By the time he reached the top landing, Abby was approaching the door.
He settled the containers on the heavy stone walkway, making sure not to drop the clipboard he’d braced on the top bin. “Hold up, Abby. Can I have a word first?”
She fixed appraising eyes on him, but turned and joined him on the landing. “What is it?”
“First, I wanted to apologize again for the way I handled things when I arrived.” He made sure his sincerity sounded in his tone. “There was no excuse for my behavior. I won’t let it happen again. Okay?”
“Okay,” she said, but her skeptical gaze told him he still had a lot to prove.
The sight of her might leave him out of control, but he would do everything within his power not to behave so childishly again. After all, he didn’t want to feel this way. Not when he didn’t have the time or inclination to get involved with anyone.
So shut it down, man, and don’t throw a tantrum again.
“One thing, before the day gets going,” she said. “I’d like your permission to overnight the locket to Nolan so he can take it to an antique dealer to authenticate. He won’t mention Estelle or Victor, and he won’t show him the pictures inside.”
Good. Great even. She was focused on the case instead of their conflict and running things past him before acting. “Sounds like a good plan.”
“Then after Sam adds the locket to her inventory, I’ll have her overnight it today.” She cocked her head. “Was there something else you wanted to talk to me about?”
“Yeah, Gabe. Do you want him to be involved in the investigation on a daily basis?”
“Is there a problem?”
“No, no problem. It’s just that I want to deputize you before we talk to Victor, and if Gabe will be working with us, he’ll need to be sworn in too, but I only brought credentials for you.
” He took from his pocket a shiny brass shield he’d picked up for her.
“Next time I go back to the office, I’ll grab one for him. ”
She took the badge, an eyebrow raising. “So you want to do the swearing in right here?”
“I know it’s unconventional, but yes. It would be good if you were officially sworn in before this interview.”
“Makes sense.” She turned to the door. “We need you over here, Gabe.”
He jogged down to them and once he planted his tactical boots on the steps, Abby explained the situation. “When I mentioned being sworn in, you didn’t raise an objection, so I assume you’re good with it.”
“Good? Not sure that’s the word, but I’m okay with it.”
“Okay, then,” Burke said. “You’ll both have full powers of the job, but I hope you won’t take advantage of that.”
“Man,” Gabe said. “And here I was ready to declare my room at the inn an official crime scene so I didn’t have to clean up the mess.” He cracked a smile.
Abby rolled her eyes. “Your room is a disaster and looks like many crime scenes I’ve responded to, but the joke was pretty lame.”
Burke agreed with her, but he held out his hand for a fist bump. “Bonus points for creativity though.”
Gabe flashed him a surprised look, just the thing Burke was going for. Keep the other guy guessing, but also try to change the narrative after their less-than-stellar introduction.
Burke glanced at the top sheet on his clipboard. “I’ll make this quick. Raise your right hands, and I’ll read the oath of office. You repeat back to me. Then you’ll sign the official form, and we’ll be done.”
“And at that point we report to you.” Gabe’s piercing look cut through Burke.
“Yes,” he said, and moved right into reading the oath of office. Both of them took the oath and signed their names to their forms.
“That covers it.” Burke took the clipboard back. “Except don’t make me regret asking the sheriff to agree to this. Not that I think you’ll do anything to cause that to happen, but in the heat of an investigation, bad decisions can be made.”
He handed the shield to Abby and explained to Gabe why he didn’t have one for him.
“Don’t worry,” Gabe said. “I’ll wait to cry about it in the car later.” He ended with a playful grin.
Abby smiled back at him. “As you can see, Gabe is always good for some humor.”
The exact opposite of Burke. As much as he didn’t want to compare himself to this guy, Abby’s smiles directed at Gabe made him rethink his seriousness.
Did this guy have a thing for her, the reason behind his treatment of Burke?
He didn’t get such a vibe from either of them, and after years as a detective, he didn’t often misread interpersonal cues.
“Okay, let’s get this interview done.” Abby proceeded straight to the door and pounded on the aged wood with the side of her fist. The solid thumps echoed over the quiet island, competing only with the ferry engine’s rumble as it pulled away from the dock.
Victor finally opened the door wearing the same dressing gown. His hair was tangled, and dark bags hung under his drooping eyes.
He looked like they’d woken him, and they would have to do some fancy talking to get him to let them in this early.
But Burke was up for the challenge. They had to get inside to collect forensic evidence.
Every room in this house could hold secrets, each one a potential key to unraveling the mystery.
Or if Estelle had indeed been murdered, they could even find a clue to locate her killer.