“I’ve only had one year of Spanish, so I’m not very good, but I understood some of it. He was arguing with the other man about some job. He was questioning the thin man about his police contact having everything covered. His protection better be in place if they wanted the job done by Friday.” Amy replaced her glass on the coffee table after drinking all the water.

  “Did he see or hear you all?” Kyra tapped down her excitement at the leads the girls were giving her. There was still so much they didn’t know, and if something was going to happen by Friday, which was two days away, time was running out on figuring out what was going down in Flamingo Cay or nearby.

  “I didn’t think so. When the thin man left, the other guy watched him for a minute, then started for the cabin. We had to hurry, but we were real quiet as we snuck out the back door. Laurie tripped over a stool but caught it before it crashed to the floor.”

  Something alerted the dark-haired man that someone had been in the cabin. What? “Do you think anything was out of place when you left? Maybe the stool in your haste to leave?”

  Laurie shook her head. “I made sure to put it back exactly the way it was.”

  “So he didn’t follow you from the cabin?”

  “No, not that we knew, but the second we were away from the clearing, we ran as fast as we could to our kayaks and got out of there.” Amy lowered her head, twisting her hands together in her lap. “That must have been when my phone fell out of my pocket. I got stuck in some mud for a few seconds and went down.”

  “We may never know how the man with the snake tattoo found your phone or discovered you all were in the cabin unless he tells us.” As a police detective there were cases like that where she and her partner never knew all the details even when they caught the perpetrator. Very frustrating.

  “I hope I never see that guy again.” Amy hugged her arms across her chest.

  “How did you end up at the Pattersons’ house Monday morning? What happened there?” Kyra asked, picturing the young man staggering out of the hibiscus hedge onto the beach and collapsing into the sand.

  “Michael had already left to deliver the baby when Preston called my house that night to have me meet him at the Pattersons’. He sounded different, but I just thought he was tired. I didn’t get much sleep thinking about the money and the man. Later—” Amy glanced at Laurie “—I found out Tyler tried calling Laurie to come to the Pattersons’, but she didn’t answer. It was a setup. The dark-haired man forced the guys to call when they came to return the money.” Amy lowered her head, entwining her fingers together. “He never intended to let Preston and Tyler go free.” She raised her chin, her eyes shiny with unshed tears. “He wanted all of us there so he could kill us. We saw something at that cabin he didn’t want us telling anyone.”

  “Or the fact you can ID the two guys, the one with the tattoo and the thin man. You said you think you can draw the dark-haired man. I’d like you to do what you can tonight, then look at it again when you’ve gotten a good night’s sleep. And if you can draw the other man, great.”

  “Who is skullandcrossbones?” Kyra glanced at Laurie. “Was it you?”

  Amy’s friend nodded. “We set up an account under a false name.”

  Kyra thought about the fact Gabe said there was a second set of large footprints near the Pattersons’ house. Maybe the thin man? Or the protection the killer talked about? She pushed to her feet and covered the distance to the desk, where she grabbed a few sheets of blank paper and a pencil. “Do what you can, Amy. Laurie, if you’d give her any insight into what you saw, that might help, too. The more accurate the drawing the better chance we have of finding who the guy is.”

  “How about the plans in the duffel bag?” Amy took the paper and pencil and sat on the floor by the coffee table with Laurie next to her.

  “Do what you can tonight? I know you’re both tired.” Kyra nodded as Laurie tried to stifle a yawn.

  Michael took the plates and glasses. “I’ll get you some more water.” Snatching Kyra’s attention, he nodded his head toward the kitchen.

  Kyra trailed him into the room. “What’s up?”

  “The more I think about it I don’t think it’s safe to stay here.”

  “I agree. We could head for Naples. Stay in a hotel.”

  “I’ve got a better idea. I have a college friend who now lives on Marco Island. He has some rental property, and I think we could get something from him.”

  “Do you trust him?”

  “Yes. He doesn’t have any ties to the Flamingo Cay area. He grew up in Panama City. We’ve kept in touch over the years since college. Although he doesn’t live far from here, we’ve both been so busy we haven’t had a chance to get together yet since I came back to Florida.”

  “Does anyone know about him here?”

  “No.”

  “When this is over, you should take some time for yourself. When I was working for the police, I didn’t have a life outside my job. Even though starting my business has been time-consuming, I’ve managed to carve some time for leisure with friends.” But not nearly enough, she realized. Her near brushes with death had emphasized that to her.

  Michael sent her a tired smile. “I’m realizing that. You can’t drown herself in work in order to avoid your problems. It might work for a while but not long. The problem is still there to be solved.”

  The urge to put her arms around him and hold him close inundated her. She’d done her fair share of avoiding problems until they hit her in the face and demanded attention. “I think we need to leave tonight after midnight.”

  “How? Our cars can be traced and don’t rental cars have GPS?”

  “Yes, I’m sure the one I have does.” A movement out of the corner of her eye caused Kyra to swing around toward the entrance into the dining room.

  Laurie, pale, hugging her arms to her chest, stood in the doorway. “We could use Mom’s car.”

  “The white one sitting in the driveway? I think people would notice it was gone,” Kyra said.

  “No, the one she inherited from her mother when she died last year. It’s old but it runs and it’s sitting in the garage. Not many people know about it. She brought it home and parked it in the garage. She started it every once in a while to keep the battery charged, but she hasn’t driven it around town.”

  “Perfect.” Kyra closed the distance between her and Laurie. “I’ll go get it and bring back some clothes for you and Amy. You two look about the same size.” She glanced at Michael. “I’d prefer you not go back to your house. When I get the car, I can call and you can escort the girls and Aunt Ellen to Bay Shore Drive via the beach where I will pick you all up. We should assume someone might be watching our houses here on Pelican Lane. When I sneak out, I’ll tell you the best way to leave here when I call. It shouldn’t take me more than thirty minutes to get to Laurie’s on foot.”

  “When I watched these kinds of things in a movie, I never thought I would ever be doing something like this.” Michael’s mouth thinned into a frown.

  “No one ever does.” Kyra peered back at Laurie. “Do you have a key to your house?”

  The teen dug into her jean shorts pocket, pulled a set of keys from it and offered them to Kyra. “This is it. The key to the car is on a peg in the utility room that leads to the garage.”

  “Thanks. You and Amy need to be ready to leave here in an hour.”

  “We’ll finish what we can on the drawings.” Laurie unfolded her arms and inhaled a deep breath. “We’ll be ready.”

  Kyra smiled. “I know you two will be.”

  When Amy’s friend left the kitchen with two glasses of water, which was why she’d come into the room, Kyra faced Michael. “I’ll let Aunt Ellen know what we’ll be doing, then I’ll pull my things together and leave.”

  “No, you won’t.”

  ELEVEN

  “What do you mean I won’t?” Kyra scrunched her forehead and squared her shoulders.

  “Because I’m going to Laurie’s to get the car.”

  “No, too dangerous.”

  In two steps he came within inches of her and bent toward her, close to her ear. “First, I know this town better than you do and know the shortest way to get to her house. Second and most important, I need you to stay here and do what you do best—protect. So between the two jobs, I’m better suited to get the car. Nothing can happen to Amy, Laurie or your aunt. Agreed?”

  The quiet intensity in his words bombarded Kyra. She couldn’t deny his logic, and yet she didn’t want to send him out possibly to be murdered by the killer or his cohorts. The girls had answers to what might be going down in two days. They had to be protected at all costs. “Aunt Ellen is here to help you.”

  “No, it’s not negotiable. I’m going to Laurie’s.” He drew back, his expression set in determination, a nerve in his cheek twitching. “If it makes you feel any better, I was on the boxing team in college, and when I did go to the movies, I always watched action ones.”

  “Now I feel one hundred percent better. By all means you should go.”

  He grinned. “I knew you would see it my way.”

  Kyra fisted her hands at her waist. “In case you haven’t figured it out I was being sarcastic.”

  He tweaked her nose with the tip of his forefinger. “That message came across loud and clear, and I’m ignoring it.” He held his palm out flat. “Keys, please. I need to pack my things and leave.”

  Grumbling under her breath about stubborn men, Kyra gave him what he wanted, then stalked toward the hallway. He peered into the great room and swallowed several times. Now he had to tell Amy what he was doing. He didn’t look forward to that and half thought about just going, but his sister deserved more than that.

  When he entered the room, Amy glanced up and smiled. “This is coming along better than I thought. All those art lessons Ginny paid for are finally being used. Wanna see?” She held up the paper that revealed a dark-headed man with his hair pulled back in a ponytail, close-set eyes as black as his hair, several days’ growth of a beard and thin lips. “And this is the snake on his right arm.” She pointed to another drawing on the coffee table.

  “Great.” Crossing to his gym bag, he began stuffing his few belongings on the desk into it, which took all of half a minute. Then he pivoted, Amy’s attention fixed on him.

  “Laurie told me about what Kyra is gonna do.”

  Amy’s friend leaped to her feet and muttered, “I’ll get our stuff from the dryer. Our clothes should be dry by now.”

  After Laurie scurried from the great room, Michael leaned back against the desk and fortified himself with a gulp of air that didn’t nearly fill his lungs enough. “There’s been a change of plans. I’m going to Laurie’s instead of Kyra.”

  Amy dropped the pencil and bolted to her feet. “You can’t. You could get killed.”

  “I’m not going to get killed.” He hoped. His life was in the Lord’s hands. “This is the only way we should do it. Kyra needs to stay here and make sure you all are safe. I don’t think we convinced Gabe we aren’t up to something.”

  “You think the police chief is the dirty cop?”

  “I don’t know, so we have to assume everyone is until we can prove otherwise. Even if he wasn’t, he trusts his men and might say something to one of them. Either way we need to get out of here before someone comes looking.” He shoved himself off the desk and strode to Amy, taking her into his embrace. “I’ll be all right. And after this is all over with, you and I need to sit down and have a good long talk. Start over fresh. A deal?”

  She nodded against his chest and tightened her arms around him. When she stepped back, her eyes shone with tears. “Just come back. Please.”

  “He will,” Kyra said from the entrance into the great room.

  Michael swept around. The urge to hold her and never let go engulfed him in needs he’d decided he couldn’t afford after Sarah died. A knot jammed his throat. Her look sliced through his defenses.

  Amy kissed Michael on the cheek then hurried toward the kitchen. “Laurie needs my help.”

  “Because if you don’t come back okay, I’ll…” Kyra’s thick voice faded into the sudden silence that gripped the room. She lowered her head while curling and uncurling her hands at her sides.

  He took four steps and tugged her toward him. “There is nothing that will keep me away. I know those are just empty words, but I believe every one of them. We’re going to make it away from Flamingo Cay and figure out what’s going on. Stop what’s planned for Friday and catch the bad guys. Just like in the movies.” Cupping her face, he stared into her golden-brown eyes, which reminded him of dark honey. “Then you and I need to talk.”

  Before she said anything, he crushed his mouth into hers, taking it in a deep, soul-giving kiss. Then he backed away or he would never want to leave her embrace. “Be ready to go in forty-five minutes.” Swiveling, he made his way toward the garage and its side door.

  Michael turned Laurie’s key in the back door and eased it open. The hinges squeaked and the sound seemed to echo through the still night. His heart pumped the blood through his body at a dizzying speed. An owl hooted in a nearby tree, and he jerked, every muscle stiffening. In the distance a dog began to bark.

  He threw a glance over his shoulder before entering the house. Darkness greeted his inspection of the backyard. He didn’t think anyone had followed him from Kyra’s—at least he hoped not. He shut the door and the click of the latch thundered through his mind as though he were announcing to the world he was sneaking into Laurie’s house.

  His one consolation was that at least his sister was safe. Kyra knew what she was doing even if he wasn’t sure he did. He moved to the windows and made certain the blinds were pulled before he switched on his flashlight.

  Now to grab some clothes for Laurie, then the car, and get out of here. Urgency propelled him forward, and he muted his flashlight until the curtains were closed as he moved through the place to Laurie’s bedroom. After stuffing some items into a backpack he found in the disarray scattered all over the teen’s floor, he started back down the hallway. A noise stopped him dead in his tracks.

  “I tried to give Michael my gun, but he wouldn’t take it.” Aunt Ellen paced the kitchen. “Shouldn’t he be calling by now?”

  Kyra checked her watch for the tenth time in the past thirty minutes. “No. He’d just be getting to Laurie’s about now. Auntie, sit. You’re making me nervous, and the girls don’t need to see you like this.”

  Aunt Ellen raked her fingers through her hair. Stray strands stuck out at odd angles from the perfectly set coiffure. “Something’s not right. I can feel it. Call him.”

  “We need to give him more time.”

  “Okay. Five minutes. My feelings are usually right. Well, except that time your dad was perfectly fine out on the boat. He didn’t appreciate me sending the coast guard out looking for him.”

  Kyra chuckled in spite of the huge knot twisting her stomach. Her father had been so upset with his sister he had called Kyra in Dallas and ranted over the phone for an hour about Auntie before he calmed down enough. Although only a moment had passed, she glanced at her watch again. Twenty-five minutes after midnight. “Have you got everything you need for a few days?”

  “I was packed a couple of minutes after you told me to be. This is all I need.” Her aunt patted the pocket that held her gun.

  “Auntie, I’m getting kinda worried about you. Where is this coming from?” She waved her hand toward her aunt’s hidden weapon.

  “Child, I’m sure you aren’t oblivious to all the violence in this world. A person has to be prepared, especially one who lives by herself.”

  The doorbell chiming resonated through the house. Kyra froze. Amy and Laurie raced into the kitchen.

  Amy skidded to a halt. “Someone’s here. That wouldn’t be Michael, would it?”

  Kyra strode toward the foyer.

  “Don’t answer it,” Laurie whispered, grabbing her arm. “It could be the bad guys.”

  “I won’t know who it is until I look, and I seriously doubt the bad guys would announce themselves.” Kyra gently tugged herself free and resumed her trek toward the front door. “Auntie, keep an eye out back, please.”

  “Will do. A diversion would be just what they would do. You girls go hide in the bathroom.”

  The sound of scurrying feet followed Kyra into the foyer. When she heard a door shut down the hallway, she peered out the peephole.

  Officer Wilson stood in the glow of the porch light.

  Footsteps. In the kitchen.

  Michael clicked off the flashlight and ducked into the nearest bedroom—where they’d found Cherie. The thought of her being left beaten, on the edge of death, seized Michael’s mind, stealing his next breath. His chest ached as he put his hands out to feel where he was. His right one came into contact with a dresser. He trailed its length. If he remembered correctly, the closet was a few feet from it.

  He finally took a deep gulp of air when he found the closet door ajar. He slipped inside and hid behind the dresses. Trying to calm the hammering of his heart, he listened for any noise coming from the hallway.

  Nothing.

  Had he imagined footsteps in the kitchen?

  Indecision nipped at his resolve to stay where he was until he knew for sure. Whoever it was could have gone in the other direction.

  If there was anyone else in the house.

  Doubts welded with his indecision. What would Kyra do?

  Forget that. He wasn’t Kyra. She knew what she was doing. She’d have a gun and confront the person. He was empty-handed, except for the flashlight.

  He stepped from behind the clothes as his cell vibrated in his pocket and the bedroom light came on.

  Kyra’s hand went to the top of her Glock in her holster as she backed away to open the door. When she swung it wide, her arm slipped to her side, near her gun. Every nerve settled into an alert mode. Her blood scorched a path through her body, sending her pulse rate up.