Page 30 of Tide and Seek

At my confused expression, he let out a hee-haw of a laugh.

“I’m just joshin’, Doc.I came by to say hello.How’ve you been?”

“Uh… I’ve been fine.How… how have you been?”

“I’ve been awesome.”He gestured toward the inside of my home.“Can I come in?”

“Please do,” I said, stepping aside and waving him in.I winced when I noticed his feet were covered in sand, but since I wanted to talk to him, I held my tongue and put on what I hoped was a welcoming expression.

“Thanks.”Luke stepped inside, his gaze darting around before landing on Royce.“So you really did bring someone back with you.”

“This is Royce,” I said, closing the door.

Luke smirked.“You must be the boyfriend.James mentioned he’d been replaced.”He cackled.“I kind of feel sorry for James.He was pining for you the whole time you were gone, Doc.He had it in his head you’d miss him so much you’d come running back into his waiting arms.”

My face warmed.“That’s nonsense.James and I were never a real couple.”

“Like that matters?”Luke snorted.“Come on, you must know James still has the hots for you.”

“He does not have the hots for me,” I protested.“James and I are just friends.”

Luke shrugged.“Whatever you say.All I know is James’s ego is crushed because you didn’t come back alone.”Luke considered Royce, and then his eyes widened.“Wait, dude, are you a cop?”

Surprised Luke had figured that out simply by looking at Royce, I wasn’t sure how to respond.

Royce, however, didn’t seem bothered.“That’s right.How’d you know?”

“I can always tell instantly, man.”He made Kung Fu-style chopping movements with his hands.“There’s just something about how cops carry themselves.They’re always on high alert.Ready to strike should danger appear.”

Giving a confused laugh, Royce glanced at me.

“He’s just like this,” I mumbled.“He says whatever he’s thinking.”Luke hadn’t changed a bit.He was as erratic and strange as ever.I was beginning to regret my decision to let him inside my house.

Unfazed, Luke continued.“I assume you guys heard about the body on the beach?”He shuddered.“I mean, what in the world, right?”

“Horrible.”I shivered at the memory, but didn’t bother mentioning that it was Royce and me who’d found the body.That might spark Luke to ask a bunch of questions, and I didn’t want to encourage him to stay any longer than necessary.I merely wanted to know if he’d seen anything useful the night of the break-in.

“Do the police know who she was yet?”he asked.

“Not sure,” I said.“If they identified the body, they didn’t share that information with us.”

Luke said, “I just keep thinking about the fact there must be a cold-blooded killer wandering around here.”

I gritted my teeth.“Hopefully it was a random attack and whoever it was has moved on.”

“Most likely,” Royce drawled.

“Let’s hope so.”Luke brightened.“Hey, got anything to drink, Doc?I’m thirsty as heck.”

I frowned at the abrupt change in subject.“Don’t you have things to drink at your own house?”

He snorted.“Of course, but I’m not at my house, am I?”

“No, you got me there.”I forced a laugh.

“I was working out on the beach before I hit the surf.Warming up is important before you get in the water.”He let out a pot-infused sigh.“But anyway, all that got me thirsty.I saw the lights on in your house and thought to myself, hey, the Doc is back.I could ask him for a drink.I mean, we are neighbors, after all.”

Squashing my desire to suggest he go home and hydrate, I instead said, “How about some water?”