The truth was Eddie’s death created real financial consequences for Gil.If the partnership was mostly built on Eddie’s boat and Eddie’s permits, Gil could actually come out worse, not better, from Eddie dying.So if Gil had killed Eddie, he’d just cut his own throat.He seemed too smart for that.
I asked him a few more questions about the fishing partnership, the boat, Eddie’s habits.Gil answered everything with the same sincere, helpful cooperativeness.Nothing he said was verifiably wrong as far as I knew.Nothing he said was particularly illuminating either.But I appreciated he’d come in voluntarily.
When he left, I sat and stared out the window of my office.I had a little more to work with now, after talking to the Pruitts and Gil.Nicki was cleared in my mind.She’d lied to protect her husband, which wasn’t great, but as far as I knew, she’d have had no reason to need Eddie dead.But both Dale or Gil might have.Although Eddie’s death was going to really hurt Gil financially.At least I now had a timeline of where Dale had been that might prove helpful.
My stomach growled, and I grimaced.I’d been living on station coffee and vending machine granola bars for a few days, and my body was starting to object.It was close to 5:00 p.m., so I decided to eat at a little sandwich shop near the station before heading home.
The Salt Line Sandwich Co.sat wedged between a bait shop and a place that sold sun hats and postcards.Inside, it smelled like toasted bread and smoked deli meat.A chalkboard menu hung crooked behind the counter, and the cooler hummed beneath it, stocked with bottled sodas and plastic tubs of potato salad.The windows were always a little fogged from the grill.The door was open, and outside you could hear gulls and the low thrum of boat engines drifting in from the docks.
I ordered a turkey club and sat at a table near the window, going over a few case files on my phone while I waited.At one point, I looked out the window and saw Spencer out on the dock, talking with Ray.There was a light breeze fluttering his dark hair, and the sun caught glints of red.My heart thumped a little faster as I watched him.I’d enjoyed running into him the other night at the Rusty Anchor.He’d crossed my mind more than once since then.I couldn’t deny I found him really attractive.I’d have liked to have spent more time talking to him, but June had been waiting for me at the table.
My thoughts were interrupted when the girl behind the counter brought my sandwich over.I stopped watching Spencer and instead dug into my food.It was delicious as usual.Golden-toasted bread stacked with roasted turkey, crisp bacon, lettuce, tomato, and a swipe of mayo.When I looked up again, Spencer was gone from the pier, and I felt a pang of disappointment.
After eating, and as I climbed into my SUV to head home, I called Bree.I wanted to see where we were with the video footage before I called it a day.
“Hello?”she sounded wary.“I’m sorry I went home at 5:00 p.m., sir, but my boyfriend got tickets to—”
“It’s not a problem that you went home, Bree.That’s not why I’m calling.”
“Oh.”There was obvious relief in her voice.
I pulled out onto Main Street, heading in the direction of my house.“I was wondering where we are on the harbor camera footage?”
“The footage?”She sighed.“I’ve got about forty hours of tape from three cameras.The one on the fuel dock is aimed at the pumps, so it’s useless for the pier.The one on the ice house is too far away.But the bait shop has a camera over its back door that catches part of the main pier.It’s not great, but it’s something.I’m going through it first thing tomorrow.”
“Good.I need to know if Dale Pruitt shows up on that footage, and if so, when.And while you’re at it, see if Gil appears anywhere near the harbor that night.He says he was home sick, but I don’t want to take his word for it.”
“No, of course not.I’ll do that tomorrow, boss.”
I smiled.“Now, go enjoy your evening with your boyfriend.”
“I will.”She laughed.“See you tomorrow.”
I hung up and slipped my cell into my windbreaker pocket.I thought about calling my date, June, from the other night.We’d gone out three times, and I’d had fun each time, but I felt like maybe something was missing.To be honest, I’d had more fun talking to Spencer when I ran into him at the Rusty Anchor while I was on a date with June.I’d been buzzed and oddly excited to see him sitting there at the bar.I liked men and women and was inconveniently attracted to Spencer.If he’d been anyone else, I might have tried to get his number.But he wasn’t anyone else.
Back in Portland, I never came out as bisexual.I’d felt too much pressure not to.But part of my reason for moving to Coral Cove was to try and live life on my terms.I wasn’t going to shy away from dating a guy if I wanted to, but that guy probably shouldn’t be Spencer Cross.That could be a complicated situation.Even once this case was over, that was a bad combo.A cop and a reporter often had conflicting agendas.
I blew out a tired breath and turned into the driveway of my little home.I wasn’t going to bother calling June.I didn’t want to lead her on when I wasn’t really that interested.It felt wrong to keep sleeping with her when I saw no future.She’d made it clear she was looking for a husband, and that wasn’t going to be me.Better to nip it in the bud.
As I climbed from the car, I could hear Scout barking from inside the house.I chuckled, heading up the walk to the front door.Looked like the only warm body I’d have in my bed tonight was going to be Scout.
CHAPTER FIVE
Spencer
Friday night I decided cooking dinner wasn’t something I was willing to do, but I had to eat, so I headed to the Rusty Anchor.I was working on a beer and a basket of fried cod when I noticed something interesting near the end of the bar.
Tess Barlow was on shift.She was behind the bar, pulling a draft for one of the regulars, but every few minutes, she’d drift toward the service end of the bar where Gil Moran was sitting on a stool, nursing what looked like a whiskey.They’d talk, voices low, their heads close together.At one point, Tess put her hand on his.
Nobody else seemed to notice or care what they were up to.The bar was busy enough that a bartender chatting with a customer didn’t draw attention.But I noticed, because noticing things was a skill I’d never been able to turn off, even when I wanted to.
It was possible I was misreading what was going on between them.It could have been innocent.Old friends, shared grief, two people who knew Eddie and were processing the loss together.But I didn’t think that was what was going on.Something about the way Tess angled her shoulders toward him.The way Gil’s eyes tracked her when she moved down the bar to serve someone else.The look in their eyes wasn’t grief.It was something else entirely.
I also happened to know that Tess was married to a man who would not handle his wife’s infidelity well.Craig Barlow wasn’t the kind of man who’d accept the news of his wife cheating on him with a calm conversation or a visit to a therapist’s couch.I’d seen the guy.He was built like a brick wall and had a history of settling disagreements with his fists.
Gil sleeping with a married woman might have been the kind of thing Eddie didn’t approve of.Was that maybe what had caused friction between Eddie and Gil?Had Eddie told Gil to knock it off?Stop messing with a married woman?I didn’t know if Eddie was the kind of friend who’d butt into the personal life of his buddy or not.Some guys would say something, but many wouldn’t.They’d figure it was their pal’s problem if he got his ass kicked for messing with a married woman.But was that the kind of disagreement that would make Eddie sit up at night, brooding in the dark?I wasn’t sure.
I ate my fish and kept my eyes mostly on the TV above the bar.Occasionally, I’d check in to see if Gil and Tess were still flirting.They were, but around 8:00 p.m., Craig Barlow made an appearance, and Gil slipped quietly out of the restaurant.Tess greeted her husband with a nervous smile and hug, and he sat near the spot where Gil had been.He was a big guy, dark hair with an undercut, and a thick, but neatly trimmed beard.His biceps were as big as my thighs and covered in nautical tattoos.He worked as a deckhand on one of the busier fishing boats.
