Fifteen
Dean’s expression was grim as the broadcaster repeated the warning for all sea craft and seaside communities of the Outer Hebrides to be on the lookout for two suspects—a male approximately six feet three inches tall, fifteen stone, thirty years old, light brown hair, heavy beard, and a female approximately twenty-five, five and a half feet tall, nine stone, long, dark hair, and green eyes, both presumed armed and dangerous.
The descriptions were off a little in the particulars—he was six-four, two twenty—more like sixteen stone—and thirty-three—but close enough to identify them.
“What’s going on?” Annie said. “They are making it sound as if we are the criminals.”
That was exactly what it sounded like, which Dean knew wasn’t good. “Try another channel.”
It took a few tries, but eventually she found a news broadcast from Lewis. The bulletin came a few minutes later. “The big story this morning is the two men found murdered on a local dive boat, and the hunt for the two suspects responsible. The sole survivor of the horrible ordeal at sea, which took place about fifty miles northwest of Lewis, is telling a harrowing account of robbery and murder carried out by the charter captain and his American accomplice. Islanders are warned not to approach on their own, suspects are armed anddangerous, but to report any sightings to the police immediately.”
Dean swore.
Annie looked at him wide-eyed and pale. “Murder? What is he talking about? We didn’t murder anyone.”
Dean slowed the motor to meet her gaze. “No, but it sounds as if someone did.”
She made a sound that was a cry and gasp combined. “Jean Paul?”
He nodded. “That would be my guess.”
“But how is that possible? He was tied up.”
Dean had checked all the ties and made sure their hands had been behind their backs, where they couldn’t get the leverage as he had done to break through them. Jean Paul hadn’t gotten loose that way.
But Dean had made a mistake. In the hurry, he hadn’t patted him down to check for weapons. “He must have had a knife on him. Somewhere that he or one of the others could reach.”
“But what about the explosives? Why didn’t they mention anything about that?”
“I assume they are at the bottom of the ocean right now. Jean Paul probably threw them overboard before the coast guard arrived.”
It finally set in what that meant. “That means Julien...” Anguished, tear-filled eyes locked on his. “And Claude.”
“I’m sorry, Annie.”
She shook her head as if she didn’t believe it, tears streaming down her cheeks.
Dean reached out and swept a few away, but that was all the comfort he could give her right now.
He had to focus on other things. Like how the hell they were going to slip through a net cast for a murderer that was getting wider every minute.
•••
Julien dead?Murderedby his former teacher and the man he admired so much? It couldn’t be true! But the tears pouring down her cheeks told her she knew it was.
As angry as Annie had been with Julien for involving her in this nightmare—and she’d been furious—she hadn’t wanted to see him killed for it. Punished for his crimes certainly, but not like this.
She’d believed him when he said he never intended for anyone to get hurt. Julien had been duped as well.
Oh God, poor Julien. Maybe she’d jumped into a relationship too quickly, but Annie had truly cared for him. She didn’t want to think that he would have gone through with blowing up the ship as Jean Paul had planned.
Was that why Jean Paul had killed him? But that didn’t explain Claude. He’d been in on the full plan. There had been no reason for Jean Paul to kill him. Unless Jean Paul’s only intention had been to turn the scrutiny from himself and put it on them. Had she unwittingly played a hand in Julien’s and Claude’s deaths?
The thought made her ill.
She couldn’t let Jean Paul get away with it. As soon as they reached the island—North Uist—she would find the nearest police station and clear everything up.
The question was whether she could convince Dan to come with her. If he truly wasn’t involved in anything illegal, the seriousness of the charges would have to make him want to clear his name... right?
