“Who?” she asked.

  Sounding a little impatient, Craig spat, “The guy who was there with you when Rags found the money.”

  “Oh, John?”

  “Yes. Do you think he’s implicating you? Do you know of any reason why he would do that?”

  “Gosh, I don’t know what it would be. I just met the man.”

  “Well, I think I’ll see if I can do a little background check on him and his friends before my meeting with Shively.”

  “Will you have time for all that?” she asked. “Aren’t you at a conference or something?”

  “I’m never too busy to help out my best partner’s family.”

  “Thanks. I’m sure Rags will appreciate that.”

  Chapter 6

  “Ahhh, a full day of fun in the sun to look forward to,” Savannah said as she and Michael joined Keith, Holly, and the girls on the deck late the next morning. “Let’s put Teddy in his playpen. I’ll move the umbrella to shade him.” She smiled at the three girls as they huddled together on a lounge chair with a book. “Would anyone like to go down to the beach with me? I haven’t had time to hunt for shells and sea glass yet.”

  “Yes!” Cassie said, leaping from the lounge.

  “I go,” Lily chirped, picking up her pail and shovel.

  “Me too,” Bethany said. “Can I go?”

  “You sure can,” Savannah said, “if it’s okay with your mom and dad.”

  Bethany looked at Holly, then Keith. “It’s okay,” she said.

  Holly laughed. “I’ll go with you. I want to get my feet wet; it’s getting warm up here.”

  Once the women had put lifejackets on the two youngest girls, Holly shouted, “Last one in the water’s a rotten tomato!”

  “Oh, careful,” Savannah cautioned when the girls hastened their pace. “Hold my hand Lily; you too, Beth-Beth.”

  “Hey, are you guys going swimming?” Adam called from the surf. “Watch this!” he shouted as he prepared to skim the shallow waves on his boogie board. He dropped the board, jumped on it, and glided for several feet before stepping off of it. “Oh, sorry,” he said, when he realized he’d almost run into a man who was walking along the water’s edge. Adam picked up his boogie board and stood for a moment, staring at the man who continued on up the beach.

  “What’s wrong?” Savannah asked, approaching him with Lily by the hand.

  “That man in the blue board shorts,” he said, frowning, “I keep seeing him.”

  Savannah chuckled. “Well, he’s probably staying here at the beach, or he lives here.”

  Savannah tousled the boy’s hair. “Most likely, he keeps seeing you, too.”

  “No,” Adam said seriously, “I even saw him at your book signing when Rags found the squirrel.”

  Savannah stared after the man. “Really?”

  “Did you see him there?” Adam asked. “He sat in the back row without any kids or anything. I thought it was kinda unusual because he was by himself.” He frowned. “I don’t think he likes cats, either.”

  “Why do you say that?” Savannah asked.

  “Because Rags went up to him when he was on the leash and that man sorta turned and walked away, like he didn’t want to pet him or anything. I don’t think he bought any books. So why was he there?”

  Savannah thought about what the boy had said, then shook it off, saying, “Oh, he probably noticed all of us sitting out on the lawn that day and stopped to find out what we were doing.”

  “I guess,” Adam said, shrugging.

  “Well, there they are,” came a voice from behind them.

  “Craig!” Savannah greeted. “Iris,” she said, hugging her. “So good to see you two. You’re back early. I didn’t expect you today.” She looked at Iris more closely. “You’re wearing your bathing suit. Going swimming?”

  “I might,” she said. She waved her arms and remarked, “It’s so gloriously warm!”

  Savannah smiled at her, then asked Craig, “So why did you come back early?”

  He winced. “I didn’t like what I was hearing and thought I’d better hotfoot it back here.”

  “What were you hearing?” Savannah asked. “Ooopsie!” she yelped, reaching to help Lily up after a wave knocked her off balance.

  “She liked it,” Cassie said. “She likes getting all wet. Can I take her out farther?”

  “No, I don’t think so,” Savannah said. “I’d better keep hold of her hand.”

  “You just take care of yourself, honey,” Holly said to her older daughter. “Show the little girls how you can swim.”

  Craig smiled at the children as they frolicked and squealed in the surf. He then focused on Savannah. “I hear they have a tail on you.”

  “What?” She frowned and looked in the direction the man in the blue board shorts had gone.

  He followed her stare. “What do you see?”

  “Well, he’s gone now, but Adam thinks...” She huffed. “Oh, Craig, that’s impossible, don’t you think so? Why would anyone follow me around?”

  Meanwhile, Lily continued trying to pull Savannah out deeper into the water, but she resisted Lily’s efforts, giving most of her attention to Craig. When Lily lost her footing again, Iris picked her up and said, “Come with Aunt Ris-Ris. I’ll take you out to the bigger waves.”

  “Oh, Iris, I don’t think...” Savannah started.

  “Chill, mama bear. I’ll hold onto her. She has her little life jacket on. The waves are gentle today. We’ll be fine.” She smiled. “If anything goes wrong, I saw a cute lifeguard just down the beach a ways.”

  Craig grinned at his wife, then said, “They believe you have the rest of that money. They’ve been looking into your finances. Did you know that? As I understand it, someone even attended some of your book signings. Well, at least one of them.”

  Savannah peered into the distance again and scoured the beach.

  “What or who are you looking for?” Craig insisted.

  “Well, Adam was just telling me about a man he’s seen hanging around us lately. Adam was concerned because he saw him at our signing here on the beach the other day.”

  “Do you see him anywhere?” Craig asked, looking in the same direction.

  “No. He walked down the beach that way and I haven’t seen him since.” She waved her hand in front of her. “Oh, Craig, it was probably just some random guy. I’m sure Adam was mistaken.”

  “Well, be alert, will you? And so will I.” He watched the children play in the water for a minute, then asked, “Hey, have you and your ladies’ surveillance team unveiled the beach burglar?”

  She shook her head. “No. It’s still a mystery.”

  He chuckled. “That is the craziest deal—things disappearing, some of them reappearing in the most surprising places...I can’t figure out what’s going on there. Probably a loony-toons beachcomber getting his jollies.” He became more serious when he asked, “When’s your next book gig?”

  “This evening, why?”

  “Because I’m going with you, that’s why,” he said in his usual crusty manner. “I want to tell that tail a thing or two and see if I can get him off your back.”

  ****

  That evening as Savannah and Craig prepared to leave for the signing, she asked Adam, “Would you like to go with us tonight?” When he balked, she said, “I don’t blame you. You’ve been so helpful, and I know these things can get boring. It’s just that the detective would like you to identify that guy you saw at the signing the other day.”

  Adam scrunched up his face. “Why would he come to see Rags again? I don’t even think he liked seeing Rags that other time.”

  “The detective has a hunch that he might show up again and he needs you to point him out. What do you think?” Savannah asked.

  “Sure,” he said. “You need me there to help with Rags, anyway, don’t you? You probably couldn’t do those shows without my help.”

  Savannah and Michael smiled at each other and she said, “That’s right, buddy.” She hugged Adam. “I really appreciate the help you’ve been every day here at the beach. You’re just about the best big brother and cat herder I know.”

  “And son,” Michael said solemnly.

  “And nephew,” Keith said, tousling the boy’s hair as he walked past.

  Blushing a little, Adam turned to Craig, “Okay, yeah, I can help you, Detective. I’ve seen that guy lots of times already.” He added, “I almost ran him down with my boogie board this morning, huh, Savannah?”

  “He sure did,” she said, strapping Rags’s harness around him.

  ****

  Several minutes later Savannah eased Rags out of the car in a large parking lot. She thought about letting him walk into the mall, but decided to carry him instead, and the cat seemed to enjoy the attention he attracted along the way. In between the head rubs and neck scratches, Rags reached out a paw and tried to get the attention of passersby. So it was that when they’d entered the bookstore, Rags snagged the sleeve of a man in front of them who was eyeing a row of chairs in the back of the room.

  “Oh, I’m sorry,” Savannah said, when he turned around and looked at Rags.

  He rubbed his arm where the cat’s claw had poked him. “It’s okay,” he mumbled, continuing toward a chair on the far side of the room.

  At the same time, Adam grasped Craig’s arm and whispered, “That’s him! Rags just clawed him.”

  “He clawed him?” Craig asked, looking at Rags and the people around him.

  “Well, I think he just wanted petting. Yeah, that’s him in the green shirt.” Adam pointed. “He just sat down over there.”

  “Thanks,” Craig muttered.

  “Are you going to arrest him?” Adam asked.

  “I don’t know what I’m going to do. You just stay close to Savannah.”

  Adam nodded.

  “And, Adam,” Craig instructed, “don’t look at the guy. Pretend he’s not here at all.” When Adam appeared to be a little unsure of his role, Craig added, “Consider yourself deputized, okay? You’re my deputy. We’re on a surveillance—you know, a stakeout—and I need you to watch my back. I’ll watch him; you watch me—that is, when you’re not helping Savannah with the cat. You’re a spy tonight. Can you do it?”

  “Sure,” Adam said, standing a little taller. He promptly joined Savannah at the signing table and announced quietly, “I’m on duty tonight. Can I sit with you and Rags? I’ll keep him company while you talk.”

  “Certainly,” Savannah said. “That would be nice. Thank you.”

  The presentation went well. Afterward, folks lined up at the signing table as usual and Savannah became busy signing books and talking to fans. Meanwhile, Adam helped manage Rags. The cat kept Adam so busy that he forgot about Craig and the man in the green shirt. When they were ready to leave, Adam asked, “Where’s the detective?”

  “Good question,” Savannah said.

  When they didn’t see him in the store or outside in the mall corridor, they walked out to the parking lot and found him leaning against their car, looking at his phone screen.

  Adam glanced around. “Did you arrest that guy?”

  “Naw,” Craig said, “but I did have a little talk with him. It seems that he’s just a pup getting his feet wet in this business. As we thought, Savannah, he’s been assigned to watch you and your family for any clues that you were involved in that robbery.”

  “Damn, that’s just absurd, don’t you think so?” she carped.

  “Yeah, I think so, but when you have someone fingering you, a cop’s gotta check it out.”

  “Who?” she demanded. “Who would lie about me like that?”

  “Someone who wants to save his own skin, most likely,” Craig said confidently.

  “Well, how does one protect herself from malicious accusations?” she asked.

  Craig thinned his lips. “We’ll have to find evidence that points to the right suspect.”

  “Yeah, and how do we do that?” she asked skeptically.

  “I don’t know yet,” he admitted.

  “Craig,” she shouted in frustration, “you’re the professional! You’re supposed to know these things. How long have you been in this business?”

  He looked down at the cat, who was curling in and out around Savannah’s ankles. He asked, “Do you know what your cat’s going to do next or even what your cat’s been doing?” Before she could answer, he added, “And you’ve lived with him for how many years?”

  “Point taken,” she said reluctantly. “Okay, so we’ll have to play it by ear, and hope the truth will be revealed sooner rather than later, right?”

  “Yes, and in the meantime, I doubt that you’re in any danger.” When she looked at him, he challenged, “You don’t know anything, do you?”

  She shook her head.

  “The bad guys know that. They know you’re clueless; they’re just using you, either as a distraction, so they can wiggle out from under the pressure of the accusation, or they truly hope you’ll be charged and they’ll be in the clear.”

  “But how can they charge me without evidence?”

  “Honey, the evidence is that you found that money, remember?”

  She slumped a little. “Oh yes. So you don’t think they’ll try to come around here and—you know, start planting evidence?”

  He chuckled. “You’ve been staying awake nights in fairytale land about this, haven’t you?” When he realized that she was waiting for an answer, he said, “Probably not as long as that watchdog is watchdogging you. Plus, I’ll be here.” He patted her shoulder. “Nah, I think you’ll be just fine. Let’s hope the crooks find a way to dig their own grave. They usually do in these cases.”

  ****

  “Now that’s simply the last straw,” Janet said the next morning over coffee on the Iveys’ deck.

  “What happened?” Gladys asked, handing Teddy a toy. She ran her hand over his head and smiled. “Sweet boy.” When she sat back in her chair, she looked at her cousin. “Is something else missing from your home?”

  “Yes, one of my favorite flip-flops, but Carolyn, next door, found it and our other neighbor Stan’s glasses on her doorstep with her newspaper.”

  “That’s just crazy,” Keith said while braiding Bethany’s hair.

  “Ouch!” the child cried. “You pulled my hair, Daddy.”

  “Sorry, honey.” He addressed Janet again. “It has to be some weirdo running around trying to confuse everyone.”

  “I know, right?” Janet agreed. “But it’s driving me crazy. I want it to stop! I’m tired of finding random things in my yard. It’s like every night there’s a hurricane that picks up our belongings and drops them somewhere else.”

  Michael chuckled. “A hurricane, huh?”

  “Yeah, have you folks been missing anything lately?”

  “We’ve been pretty diligent about bringing things in at night,” Holly said. She looked at

  Savannah. “I think you said one of the baby’s toys was gone, but it came back, right?”

  She nodded. “Yes, mysteriously.”

  “Some of the neighbors have installed cameras,” Janet said smugly. “That ought to help us nail the culprit.” She shivered. “I can’t wait to see what they pick up.”

  Savannah laughed and Gladys asked, “What’s funny, Vannie?”

  “Oh, I was just watching Janet, and I think she’s more like Auntie than she is like you.”

  “Maggie?” Gladys asked.

  “Yes,” Savannah said. “She’s animated like Auntie; you’re more demure.”

  “Demure?” Janet questioned with an impish grin. “You should have seen her out there jumping the waves yesterday afternoon. There was nothing demure about the way she flopped around like a crazy whale.”

  “Well, I got knocked down by a big wave,” Gladys said in her defense. “There’s no way to be ladylike when you’re being churned around like you’re in a washing machine.”

  When everyone laughed, Holly asked, “Did you get a video, Janet?”

  “No, she did not,” Gladys insisted. She pointed at her cousin and giggled. “She was laughing so hard at me that a second wave caught her off balance and she went splat on her face. We were both quite a sight, I can tell you that.”

  Savannah patted her mother’s arm. “Sounds like you two kids had a lot of fun yesterday.”

  Gladys smiled. “It was fun. I really enjoyed myself—sand in my bathing suit, seaweed in my hair, and all.”

  “So what are you gals doing today?” Savannah asked, obviously amused.

  Janet looked at Gladys. “We’re going to visit my son and some of my grandkids. Klint lives across town. My other son and his family are in Arizona, so I don’t see them as often.” She sat up and announced, “Klint runs an upscale restaurant and we’ve made reservations for lunch on the patio. He took the day off to join us. I think we’ll take a cart out on the golf course afterward and watch Justin, my twelve-year-old grandson, play a round.”

  “Sounds like an action-packed day,” Michael said. He looked at Savannah and Holly. “What are we doing today? Anything fun like that?”

  “It depends on your perspective,” Holly said. She grinned. “We thought we’d take the kids to one of the local amusement parks.”

  “Well, that does sound fun,” Michael said. He jostled Lily playfully. “Want to go to a carnival and ride the ponies?”

  “Now don’t promise ponies,” Savannah warned. “What if there aren’t any ponies?”

  “There are always ponies at a carnival,” he said. “You know, on the carousel.”

  Keith looked at Michael and said solemnly, “I’ve always wanted to do something like that with my brother.”

  “What, ride the carousel?” Michael asked.

  “No,” Keith said, grinning. “I was thinking more about the Apocalypse or Montezuma’s Revenge.”

  “Better late than never,” Savannah said.

  Janet cocked her head. “You boys didn’t get to do things like that when you were kids?”