Finally, the gate and circular drive came into view. Trent’s county vehicle remained parked near the front, and Cressida stood on the steps under the portico and out of the rain. Braden half jogged his way across the property, then bounded up the steps to a confused-looking Cressida. This determined, experienced former investigative reporter might have met her match in Evelyn Monroe, and she might be out of her element here in Hidden Bay as well.
Trent exited the house. “Got the prints. Dust is everywhere, though.” Trent scrunched his face. “You had me dust the windowsill. How did the intruder get out the window? That’s a good drop. Nobody can do that.”
“Could be a trellis or a drainpipe we can’t see from the window. Maybe the intruder was a free solo expert. I caught a few images of someone watching the window through a scope. Don’t know if it was the intruder. Got some pictures of a boat. I’ll send these to forensics at the state and see if they can clean up the images and get clarity.” He looked between Cressida and Trent. “What’s happening with Evelyn?”
“She had some kind of cardiac event, but she was stable when they took her away in the ambulance,” Trent said. “You good here? I’m wanted elsewhere.”
“Yes. Thanks for your help.” He and Trent had started out on the wrong foot. Braden had learned the man had wanted the detective job that Braden had taken. Nothing he could do about that. Trent was a good man, and Bradenwas growing to like the guy. Liking people you worked with always helped. Right. Liking people. Braden turned his attention to Cressida. He wasn’t sure where to start with her.
“Are you okay?” Dumb question.
“She wants me to stay at the house until she gets back.”
“What? Why?”
“Said she hadn’t told me the whole truth and that I can find answers in the room that was searched and in the library.” Brows furrowed, she thrust her hands in her pockets and stared at the ground, then back up at him.
“You can’t stay in this house,” he said. “It’s too dangerous.”
She glanced up at the portico above and then dropped her face to stare at him, her green eyes warming, teasing with her smile. “She said I’d have the nice detective to help me.”
“The nice detective?” He couldn’t imagine she meant him, but then again, he was the only detective here. “She thinks I’m going to help you stay in this house?”
Cressida tilted her head in a way that only she could do. She’d let her hair down from the tight bun she’d secured for the interview, and now the frizzy curls clung to her face and hung over her shoulders.
“You want answers, don’t you? She’s giving us permission to search the house for answers. We could find answers to why Madeline was talking to Collins. I could learn about theSpecter’s Bounty. I hate to admit it, but I’m so confused right now. I’ve investigated serious corruption—both corporate and government, human trafficking, and organized crime, you name it—but this simple search about a boat floating in the ocean without a crew so I can finish my father’s book has me tied in knots. I told her that I couldn’t stay, but I was wrong. That was a lie. I’m staying in this house tonight ... with you or without you.”
She wasn’t the kind of person to do foolish things, buthe understood where she was coming from—Evelyn had stayed here alone after the attack on her. Evelyn harbored dangerous secrets, and she faced fear head-on. She’d invited Cressida to stay and wasn’t concerned for Cressida’s safety as long as he was there to protect her. Braden, the nice detective. He shook his head.
If only either of them knew.
“Sure. I’ll stay,” he said. “You make a good point. So let’s do this. Let’s get what we need. Do you want anything from the lodge?”
“I’ve already talked to Remi and made the big ask for her to bring what little I have over here. I don’t plan to stay longer than one night, if that, and I assured her I would pay for the lodge room even if I’m not staying in it. She has nothing to lose. And I don’t want to waste any time.” Cressida turned on her heel and marched back into the house. Opened the door and kept it open.
Turned to him. “Well?”
Like he could say no to this woman—investigation or no investigation.
He communicated with Trent and Thatcher to let them know he would remain at the house to search for clues per Evelyn Monroe, and also to protect Cressida. He followed Cressida straight into the massive, remodeled kitchen.
“Hard to imagine one person lives here alone,” he said.
“It could just be her upbringing. She didn’t know anything else.” Cressida opened the refrigerator. “I’m starving, and I can’t work on an empty stomach. I don’t want to take advantage of the situation, but I can’t imagine her telling us to stay for the night and search everything but stay away from the refrigerator and out of the pantry. If that upsets her, I’ll make amends. I doubt you have DoorDash out here.”
He shrugged. “I never even tried.”
“Oh, look, premade meals. My favorite! What’s your preference, General Tso’s chicken or curried chickpeas? There’s a few more if you want to look. These meals will go bad in three days. Let’s eat, and we can talk about what each of us is doing while here. I’m working on one thing. You’re working on another. Divide and conquer.”
“Are we on the same track here?”
“Whoever attacked me must believe that my father learned something important. Valuable. Dangerous. I don’t know. Did he learn something about whatever vessel Evelyn’s son, Caleb, was on that disappeared?” She flicked her gaze at him, then stabbed a knife into the plastic film on the meal, making a two-inch cut. “That’s right—I caught that there’s another vessel involved here. This isn’t about theSpecter’s Bountyper se. It goes much deeper. Diggins believes Evelyn knows the truth, and someone else must think that too.”
She vented the plastic on both dishes, then stuck one of them in the microwave. “She mentioned investigators that she hired all ended up dead after looking into her son’s disappearance.”
“She never actually told us what vessel Caleb was on,” Braden said.
She paused, her eyes shimmering in the kitchen light. “No. But somehow theSpecter’s Bountyis still connected to this. Did you catch that theEndeavor Spirit, akaSpecter’s Bounty, was built by Harborstone Shipping, her family’s company?”
