Page 41 of Light of Day (Sea Smoke Island #1)

Luke roared up the drive toward the Lightkeeper Inn. From the passenger seat, Detective Chen glared at him. “I’m not trying to die solving this case.”

“No one’s going to die.”

God, he hoped that was true.

He raced into the hotel, with Officer Chen at his heels, causing heads to turn throughout the foyer. “Where’s Heather?” he demanded when he reached Heidi at the front desk. She was wearing a scarf, he noticed, but when he glanced at Chen, the detective shook her head.

“Too delicate,” she murmured.

“Heather? She…she hitched a ride with me earlier but I don’t know where she is now. Did she do something wrong? Is it another punch bowl situation?”

“What? No. We’re just trying to find her. What about Judy? Do you know where she is?”

Heidi was looking more and more deer-in-the-headlights. “No. That’s funny, I haven’t seen Judy for a while either. Oh no. Do you think they’re in the same place?”

“Like where?” Officer Chen frowned at the young receptionist, making her cower back even more.

“I…I…I don’t know, somewhere…like, having a drink, or ice cream, or?—”

Luke cut her off. “Let’s move on. How about any of the Carmichaels? Where are they?”

Heidi brightened up immediately, as if she finally knew the answer to a pop quiz.

“Barnaby’s here. I saw him helping the grounds crew with that new rock wall.

Carson…I think I saw him having breakfast with your dad and Celine earlier.

Fiona was showing Tatum DeBatum around the blueberry patch.

They looked pretttyyy flirty. Oh, and you know about Kayla, right? ”

Luke shook his head, though the name sounded familiar.

Heidi covered her mouth with one hand. “Oh shit,” she murmured.

“Better tell me now.”

She leaned forward and whispered, “Affair. Your father.”

The name clicked then. “Wait, you mean Kayla, Fiona’s friend?”

Heidi nodded. Luke’s stomach lurched with that old familiar nausea from when John had cheated on his mother. Fuck. Did old patterns never end?

“Is my father upstairs?” he asked through clenched teeth.

“Mmm-mmm.” Heidi answered as if she hoped never to have to talk again, because it kept getting her into trouble.

As they left the desk, Chen’s phone buzzed. “Chief’s calling. Gotta take this. Go ahead, I’ll catch up with you.”

Luke took the stairs three at a time. The third floor, as always, held the hush of luxury, of plush carpets and expensive sound-proofing.

Every wife redecorated, and Celine had chosen a palette of cream and sky blue that, he had to admit, was quite soothing.

Each of the younger Carmichaels had their own private suite, but of course the largest one belonged to John.

In the common area—which held a dining area, couches, and a separate entertainment room—a spiral staircase led to the famous widow’s walk.

There was a full state-of-the-art kitchen as well, even though most meals were sent up from the hotel’s kitchen.

“He can’t see you right now,” Celine told Luke as she gently shut the bedroom door of the master suite. He noted the shadows under her eyes, which didn’t quite meet his. The news of the affair must be hitting her hard. She wore a creamy linen slip dress and no shoes. “He’s with the doctor.”

“What doctor?”

“It’s a diagnostic visit.”

When Luke waited for more, she added, “Your father doesn’t want people to know. You know how proud he is.”

Luke frowned, catching something off in her manner; but he didn’t have time to question it. He had to find Heather. “This is an emergency. Someone’s missing.”

“That girl, right? I thought you found her.”

“Someone else. Heather McPhee, she met with you and Dad a couple of days ago. I’m hoping my father might know where she is.”

“The poor duck barely knows where he is.” Celine’s lovely heart-shaped face turned sad. “If you were around more, you would know what I mean.”

What the hell was she talking about? “I just saw him the other day. He seemed fine.” At least he’d seemed okay from across the foyer.

“Good days and bad. Mostly bad, I’m sorry to say.”

Were the good days when he was having an affair? Or the bad days? Luke kept that tactless question to himself as the import of what she was saying sank in.

Dementia.

It was a shocking thought. John Carmichael had always been such a commanding presence. It hurt to think of him any other way. But now that he thought about it, hadn’t Heather mentioned something similar? Something seemed off with him, she’d said . He’s losing a few steps.

“I’m really sorry to hear that.”

She wiped away a tear. “Thank you, Luke. That means a lot.”

This changed everything. If his father and Celine were dealing with a dementia diagnosis, maybe they didn’t belong on his suspect list. All signs had pointed to John Carmichael III masterminding some plot to stop a threat to his sale. Was his father not the villain after all?

That thought gave him a real sense of relief. He’d hated thinking that his dad, as harsh as he could be, had wanted someone murdered.

On the other hand, if the killer wasn’t John Carmichael, then who? He felt sick as he sorted through options. There weren’t very many, and most of them were related to him.

As he turned to go, Celine called after him, “Where are you going?”

“Find my brothers and sister. Know where they are?”

“They don’t tell me where they’re going. I think they mentioned a party on Eagle Island?”

Someone called to her from inside the bedroom, and she hurried back inside.

He narrowed his eyes at the closed door. Celine was wrong. Barnaby might go to a party on Eagle Island, but Fiona and Carson wouldn’t be caught dead there. It would be a keg and a bonfire, not their scene at all.

On impulse, he crossed to Fiona’s suite and tapped on the door.

When he got no answer, he pushed it open and walked in.

He had to practically wade through the scattered piles of clothes she’d worn and discarded.

Why hadn’t the maids tidied up in here? Lord knew Fiona wouldn’t bother to do it herself.

A telescope was set up in the window. He recognized it as one of his father’s, which he must have passed on to her. Without moving it, he bent to look through the eyepiece. It was focused on the ocean, but not the horizon or the lighthouse—just straight down toward the ocean.

What did that mean? Possibly nothing. Maybe the locking mechanism was loose.

Or maybe it did mean something, and that was where he should look. Nothing else was giving him any clues, so why not?