Murder at Waters Edge (Sand and Sea Hawaiian Mystery Book 6) Page 13

  “I’m sure we won’t be told,” Zak answered. “I know it’s frustrating not to know, but based on the little exposure I had to the man from the NSA I don’t think we’ll ever find out exactly what went on.”

  “But you followed the hack. You must have an idea of what Cracker was after.”

  Zak glanced at Luke, who held up his hand. “Zak has been sworn to secrecy. He isn’t supposed to tell anyone what he knows. Not even Zoe. I’m sorry.”

  Talk about a letdown. I was almost killed because of that hack. At the very least I should be let in on the details about what it was I almost died for. Sometimes life wasn’t fair. At least I had the answers Bethany was looking for regarding the death of her sister, although I doubted that knowing her sister died sticking up for her ideals would provide much comfort. Still, I supposed it was something.

  “Are you and Zoe going to stay for a few days?” I asked Zak after deciding to call Bethany as soon as I woke up a bit.

  He shook his head. “Coop,” he said, referring to his private pilot, “is already here and standing by, so we’re going to head home this afternoon. I’d like to come back sometime when we can relax and have a nice visit, but this trip wasn’t planned and we have obligations to get back to.”

  “Thank you again for coming. I’m sure things would have turned out quite a bit differently if you hadn’t been here.”

  Zak smiled. “I’m happy to help any time. That is, after all, what friends are for.”

  I was sorry to see the Zimmermans go. I’d only known them for a short time, but I considered them among my best friends. I was sure our paths would cross again. I’d like to spend more time in Ashton Falls and Zoe had mentioned more than once that she’d like to come back to Hawaii under more relaxing circumstances. It would be fun to show them around the island home I loved so much.

  ******

  Zak and Zoe left as soon as the debriefing was over and they were cleared to go. As Luke had warned me, we were each debriefed separately and sworn to secrecy. I’m not sure what story was fed to the Maui PD, but as far as they were concerned, none of us had been anywhere in the vicinity when everything went down. There was a part of me that would always wonder what the endgame was, but I supposed in this case I’d need to learn to live with ambiguity.

  “Now that everything is mostly back to normal I feel totally deflated,” I said to Luke when we were alone.

  “I agree. I have so many questions. It’s aggravating not to have answers for them, but in the end, I’m so happy you and Zoe weren’t hurt that a little aggravation isn’t that big a deal.”

  I sat on the sofa next to Luke, leaning into his warmth. “Shredder told me Trent and Hallie were found hiding out in a motel and are perfectly okay.”

  “Yeah, he mentioned it when we spoke too. It seems the NSA has determined Kimmy and Kenny were in on the plot to fix the competition but had no idea there was anything going on with the hacks. They just thought they’d been hired to create a sense of rivalry during the elimination rounds.”

  “And Ivan and Irina?” I asked.

  “They’re under investigation,” Luke said. “They claim not to know about the murders or kidnappings or why the event organizers wanted access to the observatory, but they did know that the last hack they completed was illegal and did it anyway. They’re in custody until everything can be sorted out. Shredder seemed to think the men behind the whole thing will all be identified and detained as well. I guess at this point all we can do is wait.”

  “Yeah.” I sighed, continuing to feel somewhat let down.

  “You have tomorrow off from your initial vacation request and you’re off on Sundays and Mondays anyway. What would you like to do with all that free time?” Luke asked.

  I paused to consider his question. “I think I’d just like to hang out here and relax. It’ll be nice to have a few days to unwind. After everything that’s happened and the frustration at the answers we didn’t get, I feel all stressed.”

  Luke leaned over and kissed me gently on the lips. “You know what they say is good for stress…”

  I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I do know. You up for a little stress relief?”

  He didn’t answer, just picked me up and carried me into the bedroom, where he demonstrated just how skillful he was at relaxing even the most stubborn tension away.

  Coming June 1, 2017

  http://amzn.to/2r5mVwt

  For a preview of The Shadow click on the link below.

  Preview The Shadow

  Recipes

  Mauna Loa’s Brandy Slush—submitted by Connie Correll

  Swedish Nut Cake—submitted by Martie Peck

  Chocolate Mud Pie—submitted by Vivian Shane

  Butter Pecan Cake—submitted by Elizabeth Dent

  Mauna Loa’s Brandy Slush

  Submitted by Connie Correll

  Named after my mom. The story behind her name: Gramma was a schoolteacher, did a thesis on Hawaii, and fell in love with the name Mauna Loa. Gramma promised herself that her first child, boy or girl, would be thus named.

  Bowl 1:

  12 oz. frozen lemonade

  12 oz. orange juice

  Mix and let stand.

  Bowl 2:

  2 cups boiling water

  4 black tea bags

  Pour together and let stand till cool.

  Bowl 3:

  2 cups sugar

  6 cups boiling water

  Mix well and let stand till cool.

  Mix all above ingredients together with 2 cups of brandy. Put in a large freezer-safe container and freeze until it forms a slush.

  To serve: Put 4 tbs. slush in a glass with 7UP, 50/50, or sour. Enjoy responsibly.

  Swedish Nut Cake

  Submitted b y Martie Peck

  We have this cake for every major holiday.

  2 cups sugar

  2 eggs, slightly beaten

  20 oz. can crushed pineapple with heavy syrup

  2 tsp. baking soda

  2 cups flour

  1 tsp. vanilla

  ½ cup chopped pecans

  Mix together by hand in a bowl. Pour into a greased or cooking-sprayed 9 x 13-inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 36 minutes or until done.

  Topping:

  8 oz. softened cream cheese

  4 oz. butter

  1¾ cups powdered sugar

  1 tsp. vanilla

  Garnish:

  ½ cup whole, chopped, or pecan meal

  Beat together cream cheese and butter, add vanilla and powdered sugar. Spread over still-warm cake. Garnish with pecan topping or your choice.

  Chocolate Mud Pie

  Submitted by Vivian Shane

  My knockoff version of a dessert served at my favorite restaurant in my hometown; tastes darn close to the original to me!

  1 jar (1¾ oz.) hot fudge topping, warmed

  1 9" premade chocolate crust

  1 qt. coffee ice cream (Breyers makes a quart size)

  1 cup frozen light whip topping, thawed

  1 bottle (7¼ oz.) chocolate shell topping (Smucker’s)

  Drizzle half of the warm fudge topping over the bottom of the pie crust. Spoon half of slightly thawed ice cream in an even layer over the fudge topping. Drizzle remaining fudge topping over ice cream and freeze for 20 minutes. Stir remaining ice cream in a large bowl and add ¼ cup whip topping, then stir in the remaining ¾ cup of whip topping. Spoon mixture over fudge-topped ice cream and freeze at least 1 hour. Drizzle the chocolate shell topping over the pie and freeze or serve immediately. Freeze leftovers (which you aren’t likely to have).

  Butter Pecan Cake

  Submitted by Elizabeth Dent

  I love this cake; it’s really moist and good for any function.

  1 box butter pecan cake mix

  1 can coconut pecan icing

  4 eggs, well beaten (beat eggs before putting into mixture)

  1 cup water

  1 cup chopped pecans

  ¾ cup oil


  Mix all ingredients together (including can of icing).

  Pour into a well-greased bundt cake pan.

  Cook for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

  The Shadow Preview

  Sunday, May 21

  The Shadow knows.

  Alyson felt a tingling at the back of her neck as a blanket of fog enveloped her in a mist so thick she was unable to see more than a few feet in any direction. She’d been jogging when the fog rolled in and was eager to get home, but the feeling of being watched was so intense that she paused to listen. The heavy air chilled her face as waves crashed onto the rocks below and a foghorn sounded in the distance. Alyson closed her eyes and listened for a footstep, a breath, or some other sign that would indicate she wasn’t alone. After a moment she opened her eyes and peered into the haze. “Is someone there?”

  Her question was met with silence.

  Alyson looked down at her German shepherd, Tucker, who was standing at her side. She realized if there had been someone watching them Tucker would have sensed it and immediately launched into guard dog mode. She knew it wasn’t a good idea to jog after dark and should have turned back sooner, but she had a lot on her mind and had found comfort in the steady rhythm of her feet pounding the pavement.

  Alyson turned around and started back the way she’d come, listening all the while for something that most likely wasn’t there. She’d had the sense of being watched for the past several days. She supposed it all began when she woke from a deep sleep a few nights before to the sound of whispering coming from an unseen corner of her dark room. For reasons she still didn’t understand, Alyson had been able to see ghosts ever since moving to Cutter’s Cove nine months ago, but this was the first time one had spoken to her. The voice had simply said, “The Shadow knows,” over and over again.

  The logical part of her mind told her that she was most likely being paranoid and really needed to learn to chill, while the cautious part reminded her that she was in witness protection and there were real people in the world who wanted to kill her.

  Still, she reasoned, she’d been careful. There was little chance the Bonatello brothers had found her. She’d left her old life behind when her handler had arranged for her “death,” as well as the “death” of her mother. He’d changed their names and overall identities and moved them across the country to a tiny town on the Oregon coast. There would be no reason for anyone to suspect that Alyson Prescott was really Amanda Parker, that the heiress to millions would be attending a public high school in a small town that barely showed up on a map.

  Alyson was nearing the spot known to locals as Dead Man’s Bluff on her return trip when she once again heard a sound from behind her. She paused. The heavy air was silent, yet somehow, she knew she wasn’t alone.

  “If there’s someone out there show yourself,” she demanded. “I’m not in the mood for games.”

  Alyson waited, but there was no response. She looked down at Tucker, who was waiting patiently beside her, and sighed. Maybe she was losing her mind. She was just about to continue when a shrill sound pierced the murky night. Alyson’s heart pounded in her chest until she realized the sound was her cell phone. She pulled it out of her pocket and looked at the caller ID. It was her best friend, Mackenzie Reynolds. “Hey, Mac. What’s up?”

  “I’m sitting in front of your house wondering where you are,” Mac said in a tone that conveyed her annoyance so well that Alyson could picture her green eyes flashing in irritation as she twisted a lock of her long red hair around her finger in a move she’d come to recognized as heralding anger or stress.

  “You’re at my house?” Alyson asked. She ran a hand through her long blond hair, pulling it away from her face before wiping the sweat from her brow. It was almost totally dark and the air surrounding her had cooled, but she was still hot from her run.

  “We had a date,” Mac reminded her.

  “A date?” Alyson bent over to relieve the tightness in her thighs. She touched her hands to her feet, then just hung there, releasing the tension in her lower back.

  “Just five hours ago you said, ‘Hey, Mac, why don’t you come over at around six so we can work on our history project?’”

  “Oh, that date.” Alyson stood upright and twisted from side to side. Mac’s boyfriend, Eli, had moved out of town a month ago, after his father had decided to move his business back to Los Angeles, and Mac had been taking it hard. Alyson wanted to help her through this difficult time, so she was doing the best she could to keep her entertained and distracted.

  “Where are you anyway?” Mac asked.

  Alyson tried to peer through the fog. “I think I’m at Dead Man’s Bluff. The visibility is really bad, but I can hear the echo as the wave’s crash onto the rocks.” Alyson squinted in an effort to see into the distance. She took several steps toward the edge of the cliff to get her bearings.

  “What are you doing at Dead Man’s Bluff? That’s miles from your house and it’s almost completely dark.”

  “Tucker and I decided to go for a run.” Alyson jogged in place to keep warm.

  “But, as I just pointed out, it’s almost dark.”

  Alyson couldn’t help but notice the tone of impatience in Mac’s voice. “Yes, I’m aware of that. I guess I got distracted.”

  Mac let out a long breath. “Stay where you are. I’ll come to get you. You really shouldn’t be out by yourself after dark.”

  “I’m not afraid of the dark and I’m not by myself. I have Tucker. I’m perfectly safe. But a ride would be nice. It’s starting to get cold.”

  “I should be there in a few.”

  “Thanks, I guess I should have been paying more attention to…” Alyson paused as her voice caught in her throat.

  “Alyson? Are you still there?” Mac asked, the tone in her voice changing from irritation to worry.

  “There’s someone on the edge of the bluff. It looks like … Oh God, call 911. Someone was just pushed off the cliff.”

  Alyson hung up her phone and ran toward the spot where she’d seen two people arguing. She looked around but couldn’t find evidence of the person who had just been standing there seconds ago. She tried to make out where the body had landed below, but the fog, coupled with the fact that it had turned completely dark during the time she had been talking to Mac, prevented her from seeing the bottom.

  “Hello!” she called. “Are you there? Can you hear me? I’ve called for help. If you’re conscious just hang on.”

  Alyson looked at the ground around her. There was no sign of a struggle. Strange; she was sure she’d heard a couple fighting before one of the combatants threw the other off the cliff. She heard faint sirens in the distance. Mac’s car pulled up seconds before three police cars and an ambulance arrived, lights flashing, sirens blaring.

  “Are you okay?” Mac ran up and hugged her, two uniformed officers at her heels. “What happened?”

  “I was talking to you; then I heard two people arguing. I looked toward the bluff and saw two people locked in a pretty intense physical struggle. Before I could say anything one person threw the other off the cliff. By the time I got over here whoever’d done the throwing was gone.”

  “Grab the climbing gear and get some spotlights on the rocks,” one of the officers called to the others. Then he turned to Alyson and asked, “Is this where you were standing when you saw the incident occur?”

  Alyson looked around. “No. I was over maybe ten to fifteen yards to my left, but I’m pretty sure this is where the two people were standing.”

  “The two of you wait in your car while we have a look,” the officer instructed.

  Alyson loaded Tucker in the tiny backseat of Mac’s VW and climbed into the front passenger seat to wait. Someone had pulled the police vehicles up to the edge of the cliff and bright spotlights were focused on the rocks below. Then two men outfitted in climbing gear rappelled down the steep cliff face.

  “I wonder who it was.” Mac turned the key in the ignition and adjusted the heate
r to high. “The victim, I mean.”

  “I don’t know. It was dark, so I couldn’t really make out any features. It sounded like a girl and a guy arguing, though.”

  “Could you hear what they were saying?”

  “Not really.” Alyson held her hands up to the heater vent. “The whole thing happened so fast. One minute I was talking to you and the next I was watching some guy push his girlfriend over the cliff. At least that’s what I think happened; I can’t be completely certain. They just appeared, like by magic. I have no idea where they came from. I didn’t hear a car pull up and I’m pretty sure they weren’t already standing there when I ran past a few minutes before.”

  “But you think they were boyfriend and girlfriend?”

  Alyson paused, then said, “I don’t know. I’m probably just being dramatic, but something about the intensity of the moment made me think it was a lovers’ quarrel. No one can make you crazier than someone you’re in love with.”

  Mac, who had cut her curly hair into a cute bob and was dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt, glanced at the clock on the dashboard. “They’ve been down there quite a while. What do you think they found?”

  Alyson inhaled deeply, then let out a long, slow breath. “The men who rappelled down haven’t come up and I don’t see an attempt to lower a stretcher, so I’m thinking a dead body.”

  Mac took Alyson’s hand in hers. “I hate to say it, but I’m afraid you’re right. It’s a pretty good drop to down. I don’t see how anyone could survive it.”

  Alyson felt a tear at the corner of her eye as she tried to still her pounding heart. She’d only moved to Cutter’s Cove the previous August, so she didn’t know a lot of the people who lived there, other than the kids who attended the high school she did, so she most likely wouldn’t know the victim, but the thought that someone had just died left her feeling sad and uncertain. “Why do they call this Dead Man’s Bluff anyway? Have other people died here?”

  “I don’t know.” Mac reached across Alyson and opened the glove box. “I never thought about it before.” She pulled out a pair of gym socks and handed them to her shivering friend. “Here, put these on; your feet must be soaked.”