“Ed, look at this.” Lara twirled around, and the skirt of her blue dress flew out like an umbrella.
“Cool,” Ed said.
Dot’s bright red dress caught his attention next as she poured herself a glass of water. Ed blinked. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen Dot in a dress. She caught him staring. “What’s the matter?”
“The red suits you, Dot. You should get them to change the police uniform colour.”
She grinned. “I don’t think they’ll go for that.”
His gaze finally fell on Tess, and he almost didn’t recognise her. Wow. Her long black hair was tied back in some kind of bun, and the makeup applied to her eyes made them appear larger, warmer. The dress neckline was modest, but hinted at her smooth skin underneath, and the vibrant emerald green suited her. Her hands were clenched.
“You look stunning, Tess,” he said. The bright colour was amazing on her, and she appeared older than her twenty-one years. She was beautiful.
“Thank you,” she replied.
Someone knocked on the kitchen door. Lee, who had stayed at the station on and off since the campgrounds opened, had offered to take photos of the wedding. He stood there, camera in hand, a big smile on his face. “Can I take some photos of you getting ready?” Tall and lean, with his black hair always neatly parted down the side, Ed had never seen him look anything but totally put together.
“Come in, Lee,” Amy called. “I’m not sure there’s much for you to see.”
The man walked in. “I’ve been checking wedding photographer websites, and they always have photos of the bride and groom getting ready,” he said. “I’ve taken photos of Brandon.”
Next to Ed, Tess drew in a sharp breath and she stared at Lee, a frown on her face.
Ed shifted, so he was between Lee and Tess, and murmured, “Something wrong?”
Lee’s attention was already on Amy, taking photos of her, Faith and Dot.
Tess shook her head slowly. “He looks familiar.”
Not good. “Come outside with me.” He hustled her outside. More than once, he and his siblings had wondered whether Lee could be involved with Stonefish Enterprises. He’d been at the station on both occasions when Stonefish struck, but each time, other people had been involved. People his family had trusted.
The air held a hint of the warmth the day would bring. Ed led Tess around the side of the verandah onto the lawn where chairs were set up in neat rows, ready for the ceremony.
“Where do you know Lee from?” Ed asked.
“I don’t know.” She worried at her bottom lip.
“From the restaurant?” he prompted. “Did he visit Tan?”
“I’m really not sure. He could be someone I met at university… where’s he from—Singapore?”
“I’ve never asked. He’s got an Aussie accent, so I assumed he was from here.” But what should they do if he was working for Stonefish? They couldn’t let him see Tess.
“Something wrong out here?” Dot asked, joining them in the garden, her gaze shrewd.
Relief filled him. Dot would know what to do. “Tess recognised Lee.”
Dot immediately stiffened. “Where from?”
Tess shrugged. “I’m not sure. He looks familiar. He might be someone who has eaten at Tan’s restaurant, or I might have seen him around the university campus.”
Ed turned to Dot. “Have you checked him out?”
She hesitated for a split second before giving a curt nod. “Of course. I can’t trace him to Stonefish.”
But it didn’t mean he wasn’t connected. None of the others had been easily traceable to them, either. The company was hard to pin down.
“Maybe I shouldn’t go to the wedding,” Tess said. “I could hide inside.”
