Page 23 of Light of Day (Sea Smoke Island #1)

“Heather!”

At the sound of Luke shouting her name, Heather, still barefoot, ran out of the house.

“Gabby!” The sight of her, even though she looked a mess, sent such a charge of relief through her that she let out a shriek.

She hurtled toward her friend and they flung their arms around each other. “Oh my God, I was so worried,” she said over and over again. “You’re okay, you’re okay.” Then she drew back to look at Gabby more closely. “You’re okay, right?”

“Mostly. A little bit not okay. I’m so glad you came out. There’s some insane shit going on here on this island. People have no idea.”

“You weren’t answering your phone. I was freaking out.”

“I don’t know where my phone is. That kid locked me in that sailboat! I thought we were buddies, then all of a sudden things got shady.” Gabby’s gaze—those big brown eyes—swung toward Luke. “I was hoping he’d be here. I’ve been stumbling through these woods all night.”

They both turned toward Luke, who was quite the sight in nothing but his boxers—and that Glock, now pointed at the ground.

It seemed to finally click that Heather had spent the night there. Gabby’s eyebrows rose. “Um…exactly how long have you been on the island?”

Heather felt her face warm under Gabby’s knowing glance. “Honestly it feels like a year, but I think it’s just been a couple of days. One night at my mom’s, one night here. We were out late looking for you. We thought you were on that sailboat, but by the time we got there?—”

“I was gone. Yeah. It took me a couple of days to figure out how to get out.”

Stepping forward, Luke slapped at an early-morning mosquito. “How about we get inside? Gabby, what do you need? Food, a bed, a shower, or do you want to make a police report? Is that why you came to me?”

Gabby didn’t answer as they all trooped back inside Luke’s adorable cottage.

To Heather, it looked like something out of a fairy tale, and it made her remember the good times of her childhood, when she and her friends had roamed the woods building fairy houses and climbing trees.

It was nice to be reminded that there was beauty and magic on Sea Smoke, along with the gossip and dysfunction.

“Help yourself to whatever you want,” Luke told Gabby when they were all inside. “I’m going to put some clothes on.”

As soon as he’d disappeared inside his bedroom, Gabby turned to Heather. “How much can we trust him?”

“I…” Heather thought about it. “I have no reason not to trust him. He’s been helping me search for you. He probably broke a few rules in the process, but he didn’t seem too worried about that.”

“But he’s a Carmichael, right? The same family that owns the hotel?”

“Yes.”

Gabby scrunched up her face in doubt.

“He’s on the outs with his family, if that makes a difference. I think they disowned him when he got together with his ex. Why?”

“There’s some stuff I’ve dug up here, and it’s not going to make certain people very happy.

I’m thinking I should get off this island before I drop it.

This could be big for the podcast.” As exhausted as Gabby must be after a night in the woods, her eyes gleamed with excitement.

“I was thinking I’d give the island constable a couple of hot tips before I leave. ”

“Hot tips? You mean about Denton Simms?”

“Denton? No, he’s the one who tipped me off.” Gabby dropped onto the couch, almost missing the edge of the cushion in her exhaustion. “How’d you figure that out?”

Heather’s stomach dropped as she realized that Gabby didn’t know about Denton’s fate.

She sat down next to her and said, as gently as possible, “I’m sorry to tell you this, but…well, Denton Simms is dead.”

“ What? Oh my God.” Looking stricken, Gabby shook her head from side to side, as if she could reject this news, keep it from being true. “How? When? What happened?”

“They’re doing the autopsy now, but he was found in the ocean at Seaweed Cove. There’s something else. It’s possible it wasn’t an accident.”

“Heather.” Eyes wild, Gabby grabbed at Heather’s hands. Hers were scratched and bruised from her night in the woods, or her escape, or both. “I’m sure it wasn’t an accident. Someone killed him.”

A chill shivered down Heather’s spine.

“Why do you say that?” Luke asked as he came through the door from his bedroom. Fully dressed now in a thick blue zippered hoodie and jeans, he put his hands on his hips and studied her closely.

Gabby’s gaze flicked to Heather, who gave her an encouraging nod.

“The timing,” she said in a shaky voice. “It’s too suspicious.”

“Tell me more. What about the timing?”

“He’d found some information. He reached out to—” Her voice broke. “Poor Denton. He was a good guy.”

“Who did he reach out to?” Luke asked. “Whatever you can tell me will be helpful.”

“He said it was someone with the power to make things right.”

Heather exchanged a glance with Luke. The first person who came to her mind—someone with power—was John Carmichael III.

Luke continued his interrogation. “What was the information he’d found?”

“It’s all on flash drives. Shit. My drives!” She turned to Heather. “Heather, you have to find those drives. There’s two of them, I left them in two different places just to be safe. One’s in my suitcase and the other’s hidden in my room. Don’t let anyone else get their hands on those.”

“I’ll find them,” Heather promised her, a little confused. “But?—”

Gabby bolted to her feet. “I need to get off this island. There’s someone I need to find, and I don’t think I’m safe here.”

“Gabby, no!” Heather hated the idea of Gabby on her own again. “I feel like this is the safest place for you right now, with us. Luke’s the constable, remember?”

“Yes, but…” She turned toward Luke. “You should know that Denton found out some shit about your family. Right now, I think I’m safer if I’m nowhere near any of the Carmichaels. Nothing personal.”

Luke’s folded his arms across his chest and scrutinized her closely. “Then why did you come find me at zero dark in the morning?”

“That was before I knew about Denton.” Gabby rubbed the heel of her hand against her forehead. She looked exhausted, and Heather wondered when her last sleep had been. She’d never seen Gabby so cagey, almost paranoid.

“I’ll protect you,” Luke told her. “Marigold, my assistant, can help with that too.”

Gabby edged toward the door. “I’m sorry, I can’t take a chance. Unless you have more questions for me about Denton, can I get the hell out of here?”

“I do have more questions.” Luke pulled out his phone to tap out some notes. He did not look happy about this situation at all. “When did Denton contact you?”

“About three weeks ago.”

“What did he say?”

“That there was a huge story here that I should look into.”

“What was the story?”

“Think conspiracy. Think legacy. Your ancestors,” she swung toward Heather, pointing at her, “and your ancestors. This goes way back, and it goes deep, and I need my proof before I say anything more. He made me promise. I can’t betray a dead man’s promise.”

“What proof? The flash drives?”

“No, there’s more. I think I know how to find it, but I have to go.

I promise I don’t know anything more about Denton’s death.

I was supposed to meet him, but then Andy dragged me off to that sailboat, and I never saw him again.

” A visible shudder ran through her body.

“I need to get off this rock. Can I go?”

Luke shoved his hands in his pockets with a frown. “I can’t keep you. You aren’t a suspect. There isn’t even a crime yet, other than your kidnapping.”

“Not pressing charges,” Gabby said quickly. “Not if it gets me out of here quicker.”

“I will need a statement.”

Gabby threw up her hands. “Fine, here’s my statement. Andy had good intentions, but I will never get in a rowboat with him again. He didn’t hurt me. How’s that?”

“Incomplete.”

Gabby looked desperately toward Heather.

“She might have a point about getting off the island,” Heather murmured. “If she hurries she can catch the morning boat.”

It took a moment, but finally Luke relented. “I’ll give you a ride to the dock, Gabby.”

“No. I got it. Thanks anyway. And watch your backs, both of you!” With a quick wave, she whisked herself out the back door into the gray light of early morning.

Heather dashed to the front door, grabbed the shoes she’d left there, and ran after Gabby. “At least take my shoes,” she called from the back step.

Gabby paused so Heather could toss her the sneakers she’d been wearing. Red Converse all-stars, her favorites. They’d be a little loose on Gabby, whose feet were smaller, but they’d be better than running around the island barefoot.

Gabby scooped the sneakers off the ground. “Thanks. And thanks for coming after me.”

Heather felt tears spring to her eyes. She and Gabby had been friends for so long—almost ten years.

They’d been through a lot together. Five breakups between the two of them, deaths in the family, job changes, heartbreak…

She hated seeing her so fearful. “Gabby, I promise you can trust Luke. Please stay.”

A quick kaleidoscope of expressions flashed across Gabby’s face. Wistfulness, wariness, then determination. “Just find those flash drives. And be careful, Heather. Maybe you trust Luke, but I don’t know him. Are you so sure you do?”

Heather didn’t answer, because Gabby had a point. Although she’d known Luke her whole life, she’d only spent any real time with him over the past couple of days.

“Here’s what I’ve learned about this place,” Gabby continued.

“It’s beautiful, but there’s some dark and dirty history here and no one wants to talk about it, and for all I know, that includes your Carmichael hottie in there.

” She bent to slip on the red Converses.

“He’s going to have to make a choice, and you might too.

Once you learn certain things, you can’t go back.

I’ve taken this as far as I can, Heather. It’s on you, now.”

This was all so cryptic and confusing. “What’s on me?”