12:02 AM...
Cami wanted to run away and hide. Just turn toward the door and flee into the damp night so she wouldn’t have to face the look of betrayal, the look of horror on Doc’s handsome face.
But only cowards run from their mistakes.
She was many things—a terrible lawyer being one of them, as it turned out—but she wasn’t craven. She stood rooted to the damp floorboards, not saying a single word, but also not able to stop the lone tear that slid hot and salty down her cheek.
She hastily wiped it away at the same time Olivia caught her eye. The former CIA agent wore a look of compassion. And her tone was so kind it was only through sheer force of will that Cami didn’t break down into heaving sobs. “It’s okay, Cami. You didn’t mean to—”
“No.” Cami cut her off, unable to bear someone trying to make her feel better. It only made her feelworse. “It’s not okay. Doc’s right.”
She glanced over to see he’d turned his back to her.
And who can blame him?she thought wretchedly.He had to kill again because of my big, Italian mouth and because of my father’s ties to the criminal element. A man is dead because I didn’t consider how my mother might tell my father who might tell his cronies or his cellmate or any of the other felons he’s locked up with. How could I have been so thoughtless? Sostupid?
“This is my fault.” Her voice was hoarse with tears. “All I can say is I’m sorry.” Another tear broke free to travel down her cheek. This one dripped from her chin before she could wipe it away. “I’m sodamn sorry,” she croaked.
Silence followed her apology. It was so deafening, she would swear she could hear it throbbing in her ears.
Finally, Captain Mallory cleared her throat. “Um. I suspect the police are going to want to take statements from everyone.”
LT shook his head. “Not tonight. We could all use some rest. Plus we have treasure to catalog and an island to clean up. Bill Dixon is one of the detectives with the Key West PD. He knows us. Tell him we’ll come in to make statements in a coupla-three days. These guys”—he gestured toward the injured men—“probably won’t be out of the hospital until then anyway and—”
“I’ll go with Mallory tonight,” Doc volunteered. “And I’ll take the treasure with me. It’ll kill two birds with one stone. It’ll get the goods off the island just in case Cami’s wrong about her dad telling his mob buddies.”
“I’m not,” she insisted. Her father was many things, but she felt she could safely say he’d never knowingly put her in danger. Hell, the whole reason he was still locked up was because he’d refused to take the deal the DA had offered him, which would’ve commuted his sentence, after the head of The Family threatened Cami’s life should her father eventhinkof turning state’s evidence.
“And it’ll satisfy Dixon,” Doc continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “Since I was the shooter, he’ll be most interested in talking to me.”
She watched his face, hoping beyond hope he’d look at her. Hoping she’d see some glimmer of mercy in his green eyes. But he didn’t even flick her a glance as he pulled the toothpick from his mouth and flung it angrily through the open front door.
Was it possible to die from shame and sadness?
“I’ll come with you,” she volunteered desperately, thinking if she could just get some time alone with him, if she could just explain in more detail what’d happened, then maybe he’d find a way to forgive her. “There might be some legal stuff that—”
“No.” It was only one word, but it cut through the air like a sword, slicing off the end of her sentence. “I don’t want you.”
It was a good thing there was a lump in her throat or else she might have cried out with the pain of his statement. It was clear to anyone with ears that he hadn’t simply meant he didn’t want her to come with him to Key West. He meant he didn’t wanther. Period. End of story.
Once again, silence descended over the gathered group. This time it was Uncle John who broke it. “Best you stay here with us, Cami. You and Dana got an affidavit to put together, right?”
She sent him a watery smile of thanks and followed it up with a little nod.
“Okay, then.” Captain Mallory clapped her hands and turned toward the men spread out behind her. “Lieutenant Peterson, take Ensigns Hernandez and Johnson to get the body. I’m assuming the dead man is upstairs?”
When LT nodded, Captain Mallory made a hand gesture. Three of the uniformed Coast Guardsmen dutifully skirted around her and headed upstairs with a foldable stretcher.
“Ensigns Rodrigo, Davis, and Flores,” Captain Mallory continued. “You three grab a duffel each and escort these men out to the Cutter.”
Cami stood by helplessly as the thieves were hustled out the front door. Not long after, the remaining Coast Guardsmen appeared on the stairs, balancing the stretcher between them as they descended.
She wanted so badly to look away from the blanket-covered body. But she forced herself to watch its progress down the stairs. Which was why she saw the exact moment the dead man’s hand slipped out from under the coverlet to dangle beside the stretcher.
The sob that’d been building in her chest finally broke free.
“Come on now.” Olivia hustled over to throw an arm around Cami’s shaking shoulders. “Don’t go taking all this on yourself. These men came here to commit a crime. They came here armed. And, in the end, they were willing to kill us for the treasure. That’s not an innocent man lying on that stretcher.”
Cami’s chin trembled. “But he wasn’t exactly a monster either, was he? He was just a man. Capable of good and bad like any other. And now he’s dead because—”
