Along Came Trouble

“Sure.”

“If they call you in for more questioning, don’t go until you contact me. Understood?”

“Yes.”

“And I’ll want to see whatever paperwork you give the police. Make me a copy of those lists and fax it down.” He handed her his business card. “The number’s on here.”

“Thanks for coming, Powell.”

“No problem.” He gazed into her eyes. “One last piece of advice. Steer clear of Tucker. I know you trust him, but his loyalties are bound to be divided.”

“Tucker would never do anything to hurt me,” she said with absolute confidence.

Powell regarded her evenly. “He once thought the same about you.”

Liz shuddered, despite her conviction that Tucker would always be on her side. Was it possible that he would turn his back on her just when she needed him the most? And how could she blame him if he did?

5

T here was some sort of uproar over at Swan Ridge. King spotted the commotion on his way back to Cedar Hill. There were police cars and media vans everywhere, plainly visible from the highway. Probably another one of Lawrence Chandler’s press conferences, King concluded. And he’d probably hired all the local off-duty cops to work security. The man did like all the trappings of celebrity.

King was tempted to venture onto the grounds and see for himself what Chandler was up to, but the prospect of bumping into Mary Elizabeth kept him away. He hadn’t been able to look the woman in the face without getting riled up since she’d gone and broken Tucker’s heart. If it had been up to him, she’d have been chased out of the county, but, sadly, the law wouldn’t permit him to run her off. Tucker had explained that on more than one occasion when King had expressed the view that her presence was a blight on the community.

So, instead of going on up to Swan Ridge, King drove on, only to find a bit of commotion at his place, as well. His daughter was pacing back and forth across the veranda with some sort of bee in her bonnet. The instant she spotted him, she came flying down the steps and all but tore the door off the car and dragged him out.

“Have you seen the news?” Daisy demanded.

“Where would I see it?” King inquired testily. “I’ve been in town all morning.”

“And nobody said anything?” she said incredulously. “I can’t believe it! For once, the gossip hot line in Trinity Harbor is actually running behind the TV news.”

“Slow down, girl. Take a deep breath. I’ll get us both a glass of iced tea, and you can tell me what’s got you all hot and bothered.”

“There’s no time for that,” she said, shoving him right back toward his car.

“Will you make up your mind?” he grumbled. “Am I going or staying?”

“As soon as I tell you, you’re going,” she said fiercely. “And I’m coming with you.”

“Where?” he asked suspiciously. He hadn’t seen her this het up since the night she thought Walker and Tommy were in danger from a gang of drug dealers. To Tucker’s dismay, she’d come to the marina armed with a shotgun and a full head of steam, prepared to take on anybody so much as considering harming the two people she loved.

“To Swan Ridge.”

“I saw all the commotion. What’s going on over there?”

“Somebody murdered Larry Chandler,” Daisy announced. “And Mary Elizabeth has gone and dragged Tucker right into the middle of it.”

This time, it didn’t take any effort on Daisy’s part to get King to sit down. His knees felt so weak, he reached behind him and sank onto the driver’s seat in the car. “Chandler’s dead? You’re sure?” He’d never much liked the politician, especially for his part in hurting Tucker, but the thought of someone killing him right here in Trinity Harbor was enough to make his blood run cold.

“It’s all over the Richmond news,” Daisy said, then scowled. “And that woman is going to break Tucker’s heart all over again. I just know she is.”

“Tucker’s smarter than that,” King insisted.

“Is he really?” she scoffed. “Then why was I taking clothes over to his place at the crack of dawn this morning so that Mary Elizabeth could get dressed?”

King stared at her incredulously. “What the devil are you talking about?”

“Can’t I explain all this while we drive to Swan Ridge?” Daisy pleaded.

“No,” King snapped. “I want the whole story right here, where I can digest it without running off the road.”

Daisy described her early morning mercy mission to Tucker’s place. “I wasn’t going to tell you. In fact, I promised Tucker I wouldn’t say a word to anyone, but things have changed now.”

“Did you actually see her?” King demanded.

“No, but she was there. Her car was out front, and Tucker didn’t deny it when I accused him of letting her back into his life. He just hustled me right back out the door and told me to mind my own business.” She practically shook with indignation. “As if this isn’t my business, when a member of my own family is about to get his reputation dragged through the mud.”

Daisy was so furious and talking so fast, King was having a hard time keeping up with her. He seized on the first thing that had stuck in his mind. “Why the devil would a woman like that want your clothes?” He looked over the jeans and T-shirt Daisy was wearing. Straight from the discount store, no doubt about it. “I hate to say it, but you two never have shopped in the same boutiques. No offense.”

Daisy glared at him but didn’t debate the point. “If I had to guess, I’d say it’s because she’d arrived there covered in her husband’s blood,” she said furiously. “Wouldn’t that be just like her?”

“Good Lord,” King whispered, seeing all his hopes and dreams for Tucker’s future going up in smoke. Who’d marry a man who’d been consorting with a murderess? His future as sheriff would be reduced to ashes, as well.

He glanced over at Daisy. “Get out.”

“I’m going with you.”

“No, you’re not. I’ll handle this,” he said grimly. “You go home and see what information you can pry out of that husband of yours. He’s bound to know all the particulars. I’ll check with you later, after I’ve tracked down Tucker and given him a piece of my mind.”

“Don’t blame him. The woman’s a witch.”

King almost grinned at that. “Don’t go saying that to your brother.”

“Why not? It’s the truth. Look how she betrayed him—betrayed all of us, for that matter—years ago. Tucker needs to be reminded of that.”

“I imagine he hasn’t forgotten, any more than you have. But if you start name-calling, he’ll just rush to her defense and this whole thing will get even more complicated than it already is.”

She started to argue, then sighed. “You’re probably right. I’ll temper my remarks.” She regarded him worriedly. “Think you can do the same?”

“Not bloody likely.” He fingered the jewelry box in his pocket and wondered if he’d ever get the chance to give it to Frances. He was supposed to be picking her up in less than an hour, and the odds of him getting Tucker’s life straightened out in that amount of time were slim to none.

Well, Frances would just have to understand…again. He sighed heavily. Not bloody likely.

Trying to stay in the background and out of the way of the forensics team was giving Tucker hives. He wasn’t used to sitting on the sidelines in his own blasted jurisdiction. He wanted to get into the library where Chandler had been shot. He knew Walker would eventually fill him in, let him look over all the reports, but that wasn’t the same as being on the crime scene.

Despite his frustration, though, the instant Walker escorted Mary Elizabeth out of the house, all of Tucker’s attention was riveted on her. Her chin was held high. Her shoulders were squared proudly. But her eyes were dull, her complexion pale. He’d never once in the more than twenty years he’d known her seen her look so thoroughly dispirited.

As they neared, she met his gaze, locking on his face as if it were the first friendly beacon she’d seen.

“You okay?” Tucker asked, pushing aside his anger at that sneaky press conference she and Powell had called.

She nodded, but her eyes welled with tears. She blinked frantically to try to keep them from spilling down her cheeks, but one escaped. Instinctively, Tucker gently rubbed it away with the pad of his thumb, then jerked away when he realized that Walker’s steady gaze was fixed on him.

“Since she can’t stay here for the time being, Mrs. Chandler and I have been discussing where I’ll be able to find her if I need to talk to her again,” Walker said.

“You can reach her through me,” Tucker said at once.

“No,” Mary Elizabeth protested, even as Walker scowled disapprovingly. “I can’t ask you to do that.”

“You didn’t ask,” Tucker pointed out. “I offered.”

“Can I speak to you privately?” Walker asked in a tone that suggested it wasn’t a request. He stepped a few feet away, assuming Tucker would follow. When Tucker joined him, he said, “Have you lost your mind?”

“She needs a place to stay,” Tucker said with a defensive shrug. “Think of it as protective custody.”

“It is a really, really bad idea,” Walker countered. “For reasons so numerous I can’t even begin to count them. Given your past history, you invite that woman into your home and I have to place you on the list of suspects right alongside her.”

“Do what you have to do,” Tucker said, refusing to back down, no matter how black a picture Walker painted.

“Dammit, Tucker, do you want Daisy to kill me?”

“You’ll probably have to get in line. I imagine she’ll be coming after me first,” Tucker said wryly. “This won’t sit well with a lot of people.”

“Then shouldn’t that be a clue it’s a mistake?”

“I can’t let Mary Elizabeth go through this alone.”

“I’m sure a woman in her position has friends,” Walker said.

“Maybe so, but I’m the one she turned to.”

“And precisely when was that? Last night, correct? Why exactly did it take so long for you to contact me?” Walker inquired. “What were the two of you doing all that time, getting reacquainted?”

Tucker barely resisted the urge to slug his brother-in-law. He knew what Walker was trying to do. He was trying to show him just how ugly this could get. Tucker refused to take the bait. He understood the risks. He met Walker’s gaze.

“Actually, she was sleeping,” Tucker said mildly. “I was in my kitchen pondering the funny twists and turns life takes.”

“Was that before or after she told you about her husband?”

“Before,” Tucker said, just as he’d explained it earlier. “As soon as she told me, I called you.”

“Were you anywhere near Swan Ridge last night?” Walker pressed.

“I patrolled the whole county,” Tucker told him. “Check my logbook and the mileage on the cruiser.”

“Didn’t take any breaks?”

“Not a one,” he said. “Ask the dispatcher. Michele worked a double shift, too. She and I were having a rather lively discussion about the best place to get steamed crabs. I think Bobby’s are the finest around. She’s partial to a place across the river in Maryland.”

Walker sighed, his exasperation plain. “This is just the tip of the iceberg, you know. The questions are going to start coming at you fast and furious, and I won’t be the only one asking them.”

“I know that,” Tucker said.

“You’re a smart man. I have to assume you’ve weighed the risks.”

“Whether I have or not isn’t your concern,” Tucker told him. “But I appreciate the fact that you care. If things change after Mary Elizabeth and I have talked, I’ll let you know.”

“You think she’ll object to staying with you?” Walker asked.

“Oh, I imagine she’ll have a whole lot more to say than you did.” He nodded in her direction. “Take a look.”

Mary Elizabeth was tapping her foot and glowering at them.

“What’s that about?” Walker asked.

“I’m pretty sure she doesn’t like the fact that I made this decision without consulting her. I’m almost certain she’s going to tell me to take my offer and shove it.”

“And then?”

“And then I’ll counter with a few rational arguments. She’ll tell me I’m trying to run her life just the way her grandfather did. I’ll remind her that she’s the one who came to me. She’ll tell me that she deeply regrets that now.”

Walker’s lips began to twitch with amusement. “Now I know you’re crazy. You’re going to stir up Daisy and your father and have to contend with an irate, ungrateful female.”

“That’s pretty much how I see it,” Tucker said, working really hard to sound like a martyr.

“Good luck.”

Before he could get away, Walker called him back.

“What?” Tucker said.

His brother-in-law grinned. “Told you so.”

Tucker regarded him blankly. “Told me—?”

“That you’d never steer clear of this. The damsel-in-distress thing gets you every time.”

Tucker told his deputy what he could do with his smart-mouthed theories, then went over to explain the plan to Mary Elizabeth.

“You’ll stay at my place until we know more,” he said. He regarded her with a wry expression. “Though it might be best if you take up residence in the guest room and stay out of my bed, whether I’m in it or not.”

“I’m not dragging you any deeper into this,” she said flatly. “You’ve already gone above and beyond what anyone would expect under the circumstances.”

“Have you got someplace better to stay?”

“I could go to the house Larry and I have in Richmond.”

He shook his head. “Not a good idea. You need to stay here in town.”

“I could stay at the hotel.”

“The walls would start to close in on you in a day.” He studied her thoughtfully. “I suppose I could call Anna-Louise. She’d probably take you in.”

“Your minister? I don’t think so. Besides, isn’t she married to the editor of the Trinity Harbor Weekly?”

Tucker feigned an innocent expression. “Would that be a problem?”

“I suppose that depends on whether he’s likely to bug the guest room when a suspected murderer is in residence,” she said irritably.

“You have a better suggestion?”

“No,” she conceded, then added grudgingly, “Okay, I’ll stay at your place.”

Tucker didn’t like the little chorus of hallelujahs that ran through his head at her response. Right up until that instant, he’d been able to convince himself that he was doing his duty as a police officer, his good deed as a human being. That little flaring of excitement was definitely about something else, something that was supposed to be over and dead. Talk about inappropriate, to say nothing of stupid and self-destructive. He shook his head.

When he glanced at Mary Elizabeth, there was no mistaking her amusement.

“Second thoughts already?” she inquired.

He frowned at the question. “I’m doing this because it’s the right thing to do—we’re clear on that, right?”

“Of course,” she said dutifully.

“It has nothing at all to do with…” He couldn’t even bring himself to say the word.

“Sex?”

“Us, dammit. It has nothing to do with us. That’s in the past.”

“Of course,” she soothed.

“Your husband just died,” he reminded both of them.

“The marriage had been over for a long time. I told you that.”

“But you didn’t tell me why.”

“Do we have to get into that now?”

Tucker glanced over and saw the exhaustion and strain in her eyes, around her mouth. But despite that, despite all she’d been through in the past twenty-four hours, she was beautiful. “No, it can wait,” he told her.

She met his gaze. “King’s going to go ballistic when he finds out about this. You know that, don’t you?”

“I can take it. Besides, what good are old friends if you can’t call ’em when you need ’em?”

“We were more than friends, Tucker. And it ended badly. I’m sorrier for that than I can ever tell you. I never meant to hurt you.”

He looked into her eyes, then shook his head. “Let’s not go there. We just agreed that I’m just helping out an old friend. Don’t turn it into anything more.”

“Other people will.”

“Let them. I can handle that, too.”

“But you shouldn’t have to defend yourself on my account. I know how it works around here. At the first whiff of scandal, the vultures will start circling.”

“I’m not worried.”

She gave him a wry look. “You tired of being sheriff?”

“My job’s not at risk, as long as I steer clear of this case.”

“Completely, or in your professional capacity?”

“Both,” he said firmly. “You have an attorney. He’ll be more help than I could be from here on out.”

“But you’re a cop, a trained investigator.”

His gaze narrowed. He was pretty sure he could see right where she was heading with this. “So?” he asked cautiously.

“I need to find out who killed Larry. I won’t be able to rest until I know. Since you insist on letting me stay with you, I might as well take advantage of your expertise.”

“Walker will figure out what happened here yesterday. Your husband was an important man. The sheriff’s department will be highly motivated with or without my involvement.”

She regarded him with a wry expression. “So highly motivated that they’ll want to wrap up the case by arresting the first decent suspect that comes along?”

To Tucker’s everlasting regret, she had a point. Even if he stayed on Walker’s back, it was possible that the quickest solution would be the one people would grab onto. “If it comes to that…”

“It’ll be too late. Don’t they say trails go cold very quickly?”

“Mary Elizabeth, I already have a job. If you want someone besides the police looking into this on your behalf, hire an investigator. I’m sure Powell can recommend a good one.”

“He could, but I trust you.”

He sighed heavily. “I thought you regretted drawing me into this. And I am absolutely certain I heard Powell tell you not to trust me.”

She regarded him solemnly. “He did. And I do regret getting you involved, but you’re in it now. And it was your choice to keep me underfoot where I can pester you. I might as well take advantage of that fact.”

“And my job? What do you propose I do about that?”

“You said yourself you haven’t taken any time off in forever. Since you need to avoid this case and I doubt there’s much else going on in Trinity Harbor, take a vacation or a leave of absence, whatever makes you comfortable. I’ll pay you the going rate to work for me as an investigator.”

“Liz—”

“Two weeks,” she pleaded. “If nothing turns up in two weeks, you can turn it over to another investigator.”

Tucker had weeks of vacation time coming to him, but talk about a busman’s holiday. This was hardly the kind of relaxing break he needed. A couple of weeks doing nothing but fishing, that was a vacation. This…this was a disaster waiting to happen. Add in Walker’s reaction to having him poking around in his investigation, to say nothing of the personal complications from working closely with Mary Elizabeth, and it was asking for the kind of trouble any sensible man shunned.

“Please,” she coaxed. “I need you, and you know I would never say that unless I was desperate.”

That was certainly true. Mary Elizabeth had always prided herself on needing no one. The fact that she’d been shedding tears all day like Niagara Falls was testimony to her level of stress and panic.

“Two weeks,” he agreed finally. “And not a minute longer.”

“Thank you.”

“Don’t thank me,” he said, shifting to meet her gaze. “Just figure out how we’re going to keep my father from finding out about this and killing us both.”

6

I t was two hours after his encounter with Daisy by the time King tore into the sheriff’s office. He’d missed Tucker by minutes everywhere he looked…and he had pretty much covered the whole blasted county.

Walker had been downright evasive when King had demanded to know where his son had gone when he’d left Swan Ridge.

“You just tell me one thing,” King had demanded when he arrived at the neighboring estate. “Is he with that woman?”

“Can’t say,” Walker said, annoyingly poker-faced.

“Can’t or won’t?”

“Why are you here?” Walker countered. “Or do I even need to ask? Daisy’s behind it, right? Tucker said you two were going to get all worked up over him having any contact with Mrs. Chandler.”

“Well, do you blame us?” King had retorted indignantly. “Not five minutes after her husband dies, she’s sniffing around Tucker again.”

“I don’t think it’s like that,” Walker said, defending Tucker with brotherly loyalty. “She turned to a friend for a little help.”

King snorted. “Then you’re as blind as my son where that she-devil is concerned.”

Walker didn’t take the bait. “You got any other questions? I have a whole lot of things I could be doing around here, like helping the forensics guys gather hard evidence.”

“You ought to start with locking up the prime suspect,” King had groused.

“I would if I had one,” Walker countered. “Anything else?”

“Where’s she staying?”

Walker looked him directly in the eye and said with a perfectly straight face, “I don’t know.”

King regarded his son-in-law with disbelief. “You’re in charge of this investigation, am I right? Tucker is sensible enough to leave it to you?”

“Yes.”

“And you don’t know where in the hell your prime suspect is staying?”

“I repeat, nobody has said she’s a suspect,” Walker shot back.

“If she’s not, then you’re a fool,” King declared. “A woman who would cut the heart right out of a man like my son is capable of anything.”

“That’s not the kind of thing you need to be running around town saying to just anybody,” Walker admonished him.

“Why not?”

“You ever heard of slander?”

“Last I heard, you can’t accuse somebody of slander when they’re speaking the truth.”

“As you see it. Unless you’ve got investigative skills I know nothing about, you don’t actually know a damn thing.”

“Facts are facts,” King had said stubbornly.

“Go home,” Walker advised. “Have a mint julep or something else that’ll settle your nerves. Talking to Tucker when you’re all riled up like this will be counterproductive.”

“I’ll talk to my own son when I damn well please.”

“First you have to find him, and my hunch is he won’t be anywhere you’re likely to think to look.”

Walker had certainly been right about that. King had checked Tucker’s place as well as the boardwalk, and now he was going to the most obvious place of all, the sheriff’s office. Maybe Tucker had come to his senses and locked Mary Elizabeth away behind bars. King could always dream.

“Where is he?” he asked Michele, already pushing open the door to Tucker’s office.

“Not in,” Michele told him. “He’s on vacation.”

King stared at her, mouth agape. “Since when?”

“Since an hour ago. He called in early this morning to take the day off, then called back to say he was taking two weeks off. Walker’s in charge, but he’s not here, either, in case you’re wondering.”

King sank down on a chair beside the dispatcher. “What the devil is my son thinking?”

“He was overdue for a vacation,” Michele pointed out. “He’d been getting downright cranky lately. I, for one, am relieved.”

King frowned at her. Either she was completely unaware of the reason for King’s sour mood, or she was deliberately choosing to ignore it and play dumb by acting as if this vacation were nothing out of the ordinary.

“Maybe so, but something tells me he’s not on a beach in the Caribbean,” he snapped.

In fact, King was one hundred and ten percent certain he would find Tucker somewhere in the vicinity of the widow Chandler. When he was calm enough to think rationally, a part of him couldn’t blame Tucker. The boy had been raised with a sense of decency and honor. The woman he’d once loved was in big trouble, and she’d come to him for help. What kind of man would turn his back on her at a time like that, no matter how devastated he’d been years ago when she’d walked out on him?