He closed his eyes as he remembered his vow.“I’ll never make you feel like that.You will always be my centre.”He’d meant every word, but probably didn’t understand the depth of her feelings on the matter.
Stupid, idiotic boy.
That night she’d also told him about Brandon, her boyfriend from high school, who had left town without saying goodbye.That had wounded her as well, but she’d understood he’d been grieving for his brother who had just died.
Oliver’s behaviour would have been the ultimate betrayal.She’d opened herself to him, trusted him, confided in him, and he’d tossed her trust aside for a career opportunity.He hadn’t discussed it with her, hadn’t even considered how she’d feel, too excited about the lucky break.
It was no wonder she hated him.
His stomach swirled with nausea.He’d been so sure he was the injured party, so righteous in his need to tell her she’d broken his heart, when really he’d been the one to stomp hers into the ground.
He fought the urge to run after her as she strode away, back straight, arms swinging, her entire posture full of emotion.
She needed time to calm down.
He needed time to figure out how to fix this.
Was there any way she would forgive him?
Chapter 10
Dot didn’t let her tears fall until she was sure Oliver wasn’t following her.How dare he blame their breakup on her?She’d been so devastated she hadn’t got out of bed for two days.Only Nhiari’s threat to call Lindsay and tell her what had happened had been enough to get her to move.
She exhaled and dashed at the tears as she strode along the shoreline back to where she’d seen the footprints.She didn’t have time for this distraction.Her focus had to be on the job.This island was the final one in the group, the only one she hadn’t searched.Dot swallowed hard, repressing the emotions, putting up her wall of Kevlar.There’d be time to think about Oliver later, when she was lying in bed, trying to sleep.Right now, she needed to find clues.
She got her camera out of her bag and took photos of the footprints.Any trace of a boat had been washed away by the waves.The prints appeared close to the high tide line and then disappeared as they moved into the softer sand.Still, their direction was clear.She scanned the bushes and mangroves which grew on this side of the island.Nothing broken, nothing out of place.Also, no sound aside from the quiet buzz of insects and the occasional bird call.
Focused now, she walked closer, looking for a sign someone had been this way.The footprints could have been from a fisherman or tourist who’d been curious enough to explore the island.But the boat wouldn’t have landed where the footprints began, unless it was high tide and the boat’s hull was shallow enough to get over the reef.
Some limestone rocks peeked out from the bushes and leaves scattered on the ground.More than anywhere else.
Dot approached.A few broken branches.Carefully she lifted the remaining branches out of the way.The sand was firmer here, and another footprint was clear.Whoever it was had come this way.She took another photo as her heartbeat slowed and her focus narrowed.
A quick glance behind showed Oliver still with the boat at the other end of the island.Good.
Should she call dispatch?Procedure told her she had to, but she could almost guarantee something urgent would come up that required her to leave.Instead, she pressed forward, moving under the broken branches and into a dark hollow.She blinked so her eyes could adjust and then sucked in a sharp breath.
The bushes had been cut away, so only the top branches were still there, and a camouflaged net had been set up to hide the area further from flying eyes.Dot stood upright, but the net brushed the top of her head.Anyone taller than her—and that was most people—would have to stoop.The mangroves grew in the water, but again had been cut away to leave enough space for a small boat.
This is where Clark had hidden the dinghy the day he’d shot Mark.
But how did he get it in?The mangroves surrounded the ocean side of the area.
Tamping down her desire to know more, she got out her camera, documenting everything before she stepped further inside.A small cave was filled with gear, but it was too dim for her to see the details from here.She finished taking her photos and put on gloves.
Surely something here would provide the information they needed to identify Clark.He’d remained unidentified aside from a first name for months.If they could identify him, they could identify the man in charge as before Clark had died, he’d revealed his father was Stonefish’s leader.
Her radio buzzed.“Dot, do you copy?”
Annoyance filled her, and she pushed down her desire not to answer.“What is it, Colin?”She moved forward, eyes on the cave.
“Rodney wants to know where you are.He says he has information he needs to discuss.”
She groaned.Rodney would need to know about this.“Tell him to go down to the marina.Sam will arrive there shortly.He can bring Rodney here.”The cave was filled with tins and dry goods sealed in plastic containers, a small gas stove and a sleeping bag.She smiled.
“Dot, I don’t have time.”Rodney’s entitled drawl came over the radio.“I’ve got a plane to catch.”
“Cancel it,” Dot said.“You’re going to want to see this.”
