Chapter 12
Zane held the store’s door open, and I stepped inside.
As I expected, the shop was busy. Fishermen crowded the aisles, grabbing supplies and talking over one another.
Enchanted lights burned overhead, and all I could do was stand there gaping, taking it all in.
It reminded me of a scene from the human movie Pirates of the Caribbean for some reason.
Had Jack Sparrow strolled by and tipped his hat to me, I wouldn’t have been surprised.
To my left, wooden bins held coils of anchor line, dock line, and mooring rope in various thicknesses and colors.
Metal shelving units lined the far wall, stacked with tackle boxes, lure kits, fishing hooks sorted by size, and bags of lead sinkers.
Below those sat sealed buckets of bait, though the faint smell still crept through.
Crab traps and nets hung from ceiling hooks near the back corner, swaying slightly whenever someone walked beneath them.
The right side of the store had boat batteries sitting on low shelves next to jugs of motor oil. Wearable gear sat on a metal rack—slickers, rubber boots, waterproof gloves. A glass case near the register displayed marine electronics, depth finders, compasses, and handheld radios.
But it was the display near the center aisle that caught my attention.
“Zane,” I hissed. “Are you seeing this?”
Spools of rope and cord were mounted on a wooden rack, organized by material and thickness. Nylon. Polypropylene. Braided cotton. Natural fiber twine. Dozens of possible murder weapons.
“I see,” Zane murmured near my ear.
I strolled over and ran my fingers along a spool of thin braided cord.
It was narrow and sturdy. Doc Treestone had said he thought the murder weapon had been narrow.
I continued to study the ropes and twine, and I couldn’t help but think that any one of them could have been the weapon used to strangle Mari Quinn.
I turned from the display and looked toward the back of the store.
Behind the long counter sat an elevated office that jutted out like a glassed-in observation deck.
Three steps led up to a door, and the room was surrounded on all four sides by windows.
The glass had a slight tint, but not enough to block the view entirely.
From inside the room, you’d have a panoramic sweep of the ocean on three sides and a clear line of sight into the store on the other.
Through the tinted glass, I saw Rayna Halter standing behind a large desk. Her face was pinched, and she didn’t look happy. A man stood across from her, his back to me. Even through the glass, I could tell they were arguing. Rayna kept shaking her head as the man pointed a finger at her.
“Someone’s not happy,” I murmured to Zane.
The man inside the office suddenly turned, yanked open the office door, slammed it closed, and stomped down the steps. His jaw was clenched and his fists were balled at his sides...and he didn’t look at anyone as he strode through the store.
But I immediately recognized him. It was the man I’d seen arguing inside city hall in the permits section yesterday about the price of everything going up.
“Do you know who that was?” I asked Zane.
Before Zane could answer, another voice called out across the store.
“Hey, Reed!” a selkie shifter shouted. “Wait up.”
I glanced over at the door, but the angry man didn’t slow down.
“Hey, Masterson!” the selkie shifter barked. “I’m talkin’ to you. You suddenly get a hearing problem?”
Reed Masterson slowed, his hand on the door. He turned to the other selkie shifter and smiled—but I could tell it was forced.
“I wonder what they were arguing about?” I mused.
I turned away from the door and headed for the counter. A stocky merman with a salt-and-pepper beard and gray beanie stood behind the register, ringing up a box of fishing hooks for a werewolf shifter. When the customer moved on, I stepped forward.
“We need to speak with Rayna Halter,” I said.
The merman looked me up and down, then glanced at Zane. I got the impression he knew who Zane was. “She’s pretty busy this morning.”
“Herman,” Zane said softly, “this is official business.”
The merman’s eyes widened. “Oh, then I guess you can go right on in.” He picked up a corded phone. “I’ll tell her you’re coming up.”
“Thank you, Herman,” Zane said.
We rounded the counter and climbed the three steps to the office door. I knocked once before pushing it open.
Rayna Halter sat behind her desk. Her dark hair was swept back into a high ponytail, and her hands were folded on top of a stack of paperwork. She looked far more composed than she had a minute ago.
“I know why you’re here,” she said, motioning for us to sit across from her. “My phone has been ringing nonstop since last night.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe Mari is dead.”
“You knew Mari Quinn?” I asked.
“Of course.” She narrowed her eyes at me. “And I know you saw us talking in the alley the other day, so you don’t have to pretend.”
“How did you know Mari?” I asked.
Rayna leaned back in her chair. “We went to school together. We’ve been friends for years. Since we were kids, really.”
“Do you know anyone who might want to hurt her?” Zane asked.
“No.”
I nodded. “Okay. Did you know Mari and Hunter were having marital problems?”
Rayna gave a small shrug. “Who doesn’t?”
I leaned forward in my chair. “Did you know Hunter and Sasha Carter were having an affair?”
Rayna’s eyes went wide, and her mouth dropped. If she was faking that response, she was good.
“Are you kidding me?” she demanded. “They’re seriously seeing each other?
” She pressed her lips together, and I couldn’t tell if she wanted to laugh or if she was angry.
“It was common knowledge Sasha liked Hunter when we were in school, but Hunter chose Mari.” She shook her head.
“I guess now Sasha finally got her man.”
“And Reed Masterson?” I asked innocently. “I think I heard you dated him?”
Rayna glared at me. “Who told you that?”
I pointed over my shoulder, ignoring her question. “Was that Reed who just stormed out of here?”
“Yes. And he didn’t storm out of here. We were discussing the prices of fish. It’s how he makes a living, so I expect that. Nothing out of the ordinary.”
“But you two used to date?” I pushed.
“Like fifteen years ago,” she snapped. “Old news. I am married to my job, and Reed is married to the water.” She narrowed her eyes at me.
“Don’t try to paint me like Sasha. I’m not secretly dating Reed.
” She waved a hand in the air. “And even if I were, it wouldn’t be scandalous.
Neither of us is married…unlike Hunter and Sasha. ”
I held up my hands. “I wasn’t implying anything.”
Rayna sighed and picked up a file off her desk.
“I’m sorry about Mari, I really am, but I need to get back to work.
” She turned her head and looked out over the water.
“I meant it. I have no idea who would want to hurt her.” She shrugged.
“But I guess if Hunter and Sasha were seeing each other, then one of them did it.”
I wasn’t going to be put off that easily. “Why were you so upset the other day when Eliza Nordic walked by in the alleyway and Mari mentioned befriending her?”
“Excuse me?” she snapped, slamming the file down on her desk. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sure you do,” I said, shrugging off her anger. “You told Mari she was not to befriend her. In fact, you were pretty adamant about it.”
“I don’t know,” Rayna said. “I can’t imagine why I’d say that.”
“But you know Eliza Nordic?” Zane asked.
“Of course. We were in the same graduating class.” She gave us a small smile. “That’s probably it. We didn’t travel in the same circles, and I was probably just reminding Mari of that.”
Zane nodded. “I see. Where were you yesterday from two until five o’clock?”
“I was at city hall until two, and then I was here at the store until three. At three, I went to Bottoms Up to meet with a gentleman for business drinks. He’s wanting me to carry his line of product in my store.
So we met around three-fifteen, had a drink, went over my terms, and I left the bar around four.
” She opened a drawer in her desk. “Here’s the receipt.
Says I paid at 3:51.” She gave us a triumphant smile. “Anything else?”
“Then where did you go?” Zane asked. “After you left Bottoms Up around four, where did you go?”
“I came back to the marina to work on a few things, and then I left around five.”
“Anyone here who can corroborate that?” I asked.
“Herman was here when I came back around four, but he was getting ready to leave for the day. After that, I’m not sure. Maybe if a fisherman or someone hanging on the dock saw me.” She waved a hand in the air. “How am I to know?”
“One last thing,” I said. “Did you receive some kind of valentine recently? Maybe one like Mari received in the mail?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Rayna said.
I arched an eyebrow at her. “I’m pretty sure I heard Mari ask if you received one because she and Hunter had each received one earlier this week.”
Rayna said nothing…just continued to stare me down.
“And then,” I continued, “I thought I heard you say both you and Reed received a valentine and that you guys thought Eliza Nordic had sent them.”
Rayna shrugged and shook her head. “I don’t remember that.” She picked up the file she’d previously slammed on the desk. “Now, I need to get back to work if that’s all the questions you have.”