Page 44 of Beachcomber Enemy

It was no big surprise that Dane found himself in jail. But it still stung. Even to his solidly cynical sensibilities, this was not acceptable. He sat on the cot in the basement cell at state police headquarters with his head in his hands.

It was Cap who had put him there.

His so-called friend told him it was for his own good, had gotten him a good lawyer. Or so he’d said. It had been a very long time since Dane had needed a lawyer. He usually had the governor shield him from charges being brought. But not this time.

This time was different.

He’d shot Whitey Nash in the back. Then he’d shot him again in the face. Not to mention Whitey was from Australia. As Dane had suspected in the beginning, Whitey had some kind of connection with someone in the justice system. Someone with enough sway to demand prosecution. Loudly. Underestimating Whitey’s juice had been a strategic error on his part. He knew he should have found out more about why and how Whitey got let out of prison. But he hadn’t.

And now he was in jail. Hopefully he wouldn’t go to prison.

But Dane knew there were a lot of people, some of them in high places, who were applauding the fact that his butt was behind bars. He wouldn’t put it past certain of those people to wield all the influence they had to try to keep him locked up as long as possible. A couple of FBI types came to mind. At least one each from the CIA and the ATF. Maybe even one from Homeland Security, high up.

Dealing with doing time in a cell aside, the worst thing about his situation was Shana. Not being able to see her, not being there while she fought for her life. It was twenty-four damn hours since her surgery and she was still in critical condition. That, above all else, was not right.

Keeping thoughts of her being on the edge of life and death out of his head was his single biggest challenge right now.

But he had help. Joe, Peter, Madeline, Jones from the Lucky Parrot, Acer and even the Reverend Hall, from the Church of Saint Rose, visited with him. They’d kept an eye on him like they were on a vigil. This was probably Madeline’s idea. She was a shrink by trade and couldn’t help herself. But it didn’t take a shrink to know why Dane was on the edge of despair. It was all about Shana. He needed for her to be okay. Needed to see her again. Soon.

Ronnie and Sassy came in finally after she was released from the hospital. She’d cried. She’d thanked him profusely over and over for everything, but especially for killing both Eli Hughes and Whitey Nash.

Only Cap didn’t visit. Not because he hadn’t wanted to, or because he couldn’t. Hell, it was his jail. No. Cap didn’t visit because Dane forbade it. He didn’t want to see the man’s face. Cap was the one who’d put him here in the moment when Dane should have been at Shana’s side.

Cap had discretion. He could have used it. He could have let Dane go.

Cap didn’t have to arrest Dane.

But he had.

Dane heard footsteps and looked up.

Ronnie and Sassy came down the stairs flicking the light switch on to blaze life into the otherwise empty and dark basement hallway. It was early morning.

“You’re awake,” Ronnie said. He wore a tentative grin along with his cadet uniform.

Dane didn’t bother responding, but he gave the kid a half smile to reward his forced cheer.

Sassy said, “Your lawyer contacted me to let you know she wanted to come by at eight a.m., and she’d be able to get you out.”

“She contacted you?” Dane stood and faced the bars, but didn’t stand up against them like he’d seen so many prisoners do. It made the bars seem too real to him. He needed to keep them foreign, away from his psyche, away from entangling and messing with his already dejected mind. Especially while Sassy and Ronnie were here watching him.

“Yeah. Funny, huh? She said I was the only one of her friends, as far as she could tell, who wasn’t some kind of law enforcement official and she didn’t trust any one of them.”

“Not even the governor?”

Sassy shrugged. She was more subdued than her usual self, but doing well considering what she’d been through. Dane suspected that had to do with Ronnie’s support. “All I know is she’s very certain she’ll get you out of here this morning. So you can see Shana. Soon.”

The words echoed in his mind. He could see Shana. Soon. He didn’t ask how Shana was doing. Apparently, he’d turned into a damn coward over night, but he couldn’t take knowing when he couldn’t see her, couldn’t be there. He would wait until he was at her bedside and ask her himself. In the flesh.

He nodded at Sassy. She knew him well enough to know that was a thank-you. Then he turned to Ronnie.

“Looks like you’re headed back to the Point soon.”

“Yes, sir. Right after Shana’s surgery.”

Sassy nearly shrieked. “No. Ronnie, you shouldn’t have told him, you weren’t supposed to say anything.”

Dane went still. Very still and cold, almost to the point of shivering with his fear. But he spoke in a quiet calm voice, the one he usually saved for deadly enemies when he meant business.