Page 16 of Deadly Storms (Sunrise Lake #3)

She rolled off the bed, heart pounding. Sitting on the floor, pressing herself against the wall, drawing up her knees, she made herself as small as possible.

The dogs pressed close to her on either side.

Malik made the rounds, both at the bedroom windows and then throughout the rest of the house.

When he was finished, Sharif took over patrolling and then Morza.

They traded all night. She didn’t move until the alarm went off to tell her it was time to go to the café to bake the day’s pastries.

—

The main topic of conversation in the café was the murder. She couldn’t blame the locals or the tourists for their curiosity.

“I feel terrible,” Vaughn greeted. “I was pretty flippant the other day after he went missing. This should teach me to keep my mouth shut.”

He looked so glum Shabina couldn’t help but try to cheer him up. “You didn’t mean anything, Vaughn. You certainly had no idea he was dead.”

“I know, but I shouldn’t have said anything at all.”

“He hadn’t been very nice. Sean had encouraged him to act like a hostile, belligerent jerk, and you were just defending me. You can’t get down on yourself. Let’s just try to keep our customers happy. We don’t want them thinking they’re going to get murdered if they go to Yosemite.”

Patsy picked up two plates. “But they might. Who knows? I heard maybe there’s a coven of satanic worshipers or something making human sacrifices.”

Shabina was horrified. “I hope you aren’t repeating that. Who in the world told you that? Because it wasn’t the sheriff.”

Patsy looked slightly ashamed, but a small grin hovered. “No, Nellie did. She’s very gullible. Sonny Leven, you know, one of Stella’s security guards up at Sunrise, was in this morning teasing her. I think he has a crush on her.”

“Great. That’s all we need. That Sonny has more tales than anyone I know,” Shabina said. “He’ll feed her all kinds of nonsense.”

Vaughn scowled. “He’d better not lead her on. Nellie’s pretty innocent, and he’s older than she is.”

Shabina winced. Rainier was older than she was by more than ten years.

She knew her parents would object just on the age difference—let alone the work he did for Blom.

Rainier couldn’t see her as anything but a child.

Part of that was her fault. Every time he came around it was because she was falling apart.

“There isn’t anything wrong with an age difference, Vaughn,” she countered.

“And Sonny isn’t that much older than Nellie.

He’s a good man. He’s local, born right here in Knightly.

He had a full scholarship to attend Davis, from what Stella told me, but his father had a stroke and couldn’t work.

He stayed home and supported the family. ”

“He flirts a lot,” Vaughn pointed out.

“You think everyone flirts,” Patsy said.

“They do. The entire world revolves around flirting.”

Shabina shook her head and picked up the next order to carry it out to her customers.

Business, as always, was brisk. She found the murmur of conversation and low laughter comforting.

She loved the way the blend of locals and tourists came together, the locals often giving the tourists advice on where to shop for the best gear, or where the easiest boulders were if they were new to bouldering.

Sometimes they asked Shabina where they could go to find really great coffee after her café was closed. Or where to go for nightlife.

It felt good to be able to turn conversations away from the murder and put the focus back on everyone having a positive time.

Her crew delivered meals and drinks with smooth efficiency, busing tables and serving new customers, so the lines outside that always gave her a bit of anxiety lessened quickly.

She knew she should be grateful that customers were willing to wait for openings, and she was, it was just that she wanted everyone to feel welcome.

She didn’t take reservations. It was always first come, first served.

She found that was the best way to get the most people served.

Stella and Raine came in just before closing and indicated they preferred to sit at one of the tables in the back that seated four. Shabina quickly cleared one for them. Vaughn shouted the phone was for her and it was urgent.

Paul Rafferty was the local sheriff. After closing, he wanted to bring two FBI agents to the café to meet with her to identify the feathers found at the crime scene.

Rafferty hoped she would agree to aid the FBI in the capacity of the local ornithologist. There were petals from flowers there as well.

Rafferty knew she was considered an expert in the local flora and fauna and hoped she might aid them with identifying the flowers that were used in the ritual.

Stones had been on the altar. Shabina frequented obscure trails few others, even park rangers, hiked, and Rafferty hoped she might have seen these stones before.

Shabina seated herself at the table with Stella and Raine. “That was Paul Rafferty, the local sheriff, on the phone. He told me he was bringing two members of the FBI with him to ask me to identify feathers and flowers for them. They also have rocks, but I did tell them that isn’t my strong suit.”

She studied her friend’s face. “Why don’t either of you look surprised?”

“I knew Rafferty was going to ask you,” Raine admitted. “You are the acknowledged expert here in the field. It wasn’t much of a leap that they’d come to you. I’ve asked one of our lawyers to join us, just to be on the safe side.”

Raine indicated the man in a gray suit coming toward them. “This is Raymond Decker. He’s an attorney. If he tells you not to answer anything, don’t.”

Shabina frowned. “What’s going on? Why should I be worried about being questioned? I thought this was just about me classifying feathers and flowers for them.”

“I’m aware,” Raine said. “We’re just taking precautions. I always prefer to keep everything aboveboard. We’ll identify Mr. Decker as a lawyer immediately. If they read you your rights, that changes everything and you don’t say a word. Not one single word.”

Shabina shook Decker’s hand and politely thanked him for coming. She still didn’t understand. She glanced at Stella. How in the world was Raine aware that Rafferty would call her to ask her to identify plants, bird feathers and possibly rocks?

“Are you two going to stay here with me?” Now she was nervous to talk to the sheriff when she hadn’t expected to be. Identifying feathers and waiting to be accused of having something to do with murder were two different things.

“Of course,” Stella said. “I’m not about to leave you alone.”

“I don’t see how they could possibly think I had anything to do with Deacon’s death, Raine. I work in the café and everyone saw me here. Deacon was in Yosemite. It isn’t like I could have jogged up there and back in a few minutes.” Shabina was stuck on the idea of needing an attorney present.

“It’s just a precaution,” Raine assured.

“I’m that person. Always covering every base.

I’ve seen so many interrogations, honey.

They start out nice and easy, friendly, asking questions that seem benign, and then the questions veer in a completely different direction.

I don’t want that to happen. You’ve been through enough.

I don’t want you to be uncomfortable when you don’t have to be. ”

Stella nodded. “We’re just looking out for you.”

“I’m grateful that you’re here.” Shabina forced herself to look directly at the attorney.

She had no idea where he came from, but his rigid posture and short haircut told her he was either CIA or from one of the branches of military Raine did contract work for—if that was what she did. Shabina was never certain.

Decker’s nod was friendly enough, but his gaze was on the café’s door as Paul Rafferty entered along with two men dressed in tailored blue suits. The sheriff brought them straight to the table.

“Shabina Foster, Special Agents Len Jenkins and Rob Howard,” Rafferty introduced the two men.

Both men showed her a badge and then looked expectantly at the others at the table. Raine introduced Stella, Decker and then herself to the agents. Both raised an eyebrow when they were told Decker was an attorney.

Shabina waved them to chairs. “What can I do for you?”

“We would like to record this conversation,” Jenkins said, once the three men were seated. He placed a recorder between them. “If you would state your name, date of birth and where you were born, please.”

Decker stirred but didn’t disapprove.

Next, they wanted to establish her credentials.

From which university had she received her degrees that made her an acknowledged expert in ornithology as well as biology in the area.

She answered easily, and Decker offered no objections.

She had received her bachelor’s and master’s from the University of California, Davis, in wildlife biology and avian sciences.

Shabina kept her hands folded in her lap. She’d learned discipline from being a prisoner for a year and a half. Even more from trying to hide the results of that trauma from her parents. She managed to appear calm and composed as the three men from law enforcement faced her.

It was Rafferty who produced three transparent bags and laid them in front of her. Each contained two bloodstained feathers.

“May I?” Shabina’s hand hovered over the bag closest to her.

Again, it was Rafferty who nodded. The two agents watched her intently.

Shabina lifted the bag and turned it one way and then the other, back and forth, studying the feathers.

Then she took the second bag and held it up to the light.

The feathers were a reddish- pinkish brown.

One had faint blue markings along the very edge, while the other three had black dots scattered across them.