“Yes, of course. Whatever it takes.”
“Give me a minute to lock up the house and grab some flashlights.” He paused. “Are you sure about this? Things got a little dicey the last time I was over there.”
She straightened from the railing. “You don’t think the person who shot at you last night will come back tonight, do you?”
“Not likely. But if he does, I’ll be prepared this time.” Adam was already climbing the steps when she called his name softly. He turned back. “Yeah?”
“I keep thinking about how it might have happened. The drowning, I mean. If someone took him out in the boat, pushed him in and held him under...” She trailed off. “I can’t get that image out of my head.”
“We’ll find out what happened,” Adam said. “I gave my word to Dr. Nance and now I’m giving it to you. We’re in this together, okay?”
NIKKI WATCHED THE lake with a brooding frown. A mild breeze blew off the shimmering water, cooling the sultry air as it stirred the honeysuckle that grew at the top of the embankment. It was a beautiful summer evening, but her head was filled with violent images. She didn’t want to picture Dr. Nance’s last moments, but how could she help it? Had his killer somehow lured him out in the boat? Had he tried to fight off his assailant, or had the attack caught him by surprise?
Maybe his death had been nothing more than a tragic accident. There was no concrete evidence to the contrary. But even after the autopsy, too many questions lingered. Why had he abandoned his trip to Houston? Why had he asked Adam Thayer, a Dallas police detective, to come down and help make sense of what he’d found? What had he found?
Nikki dealt with death day in and day out, but no one close to her had ever been murdered. Who would want to kill a small-town doctor who’d devoted his life to helping the people in his community?
Money seemed the most likely motive, but Nikki couldn’t bear to contemplate such a cold-blooded act. That Dessie Dupre might somehow be involved was even harder to accept. The woman had always seemed devoted to Dr. Nance, and in return, he’d given her a comfortable home and a steady income for most of her life. But the promise of easy money could change a person. So could the influence of another. Who was this Clete person, and how and when had he come into Dessie’s life? Had the planning of Dr. Nance’s death taken months or had it been a spur-of-the-moment scheme?
As tempting as it was to pile the blame on a stranger, Nikki reminded herself of the presumption of innocence. Other than his size, there was no reason to suspect Clete was the man who had shot at Adam at the cabin last night or tried to run him down earlier in town. There were a lot of strong guys in the area. As for Dessie...she was a good, kind and gentle person. Nikki refused to believe otherwise, no matter what she’d witnessed earlier.
She’d been so caught up in an endless spiral of suspicion and denial that it took her a moment to realize a light had come on inside the cabin. Her heart thudded as she straightened. She couldn’t see anyone moving about, but that light hadn’t come on by itself.
She heard Adam on the steps behind her. “Someone’s over there,” she said when he came up beside her.
He peered across the moonlit lake. “Did you see anyone on the water?”
“No. I would have heard a boat unless they were using oars. I didn’t see headlights, either, although the trees are so thick, I could have missed them.” She turned anxiously. “Should we call the police?”
“Whoever is over there could be long gone by the time a squad car gets out here. I say we stick to our plan and go check things out for ourselves.”
Apprehension skittered along her backbone. “What did you mean when you said you’d be prepared this time? Are you armed?”
“Yes.”
She hesitated, then nodded. “I guess that’s a good thing. Should I drive the boat or would you rather I keep lookout?”
The question seemed to surprise him. “I have to say, you’re a little more gung ho about this than I would have expected.”
She laughed awkwardly. “I’m not gung ho. I’m pretty nervous, if you want to know the truth, but we have to do whatever is necessary to find out what happened to Dr. Nance.”
He hesitated. “I doubt we’ll run into trouble, but just in case, keep your head down. Don’t let adrenaline make you do something foolish.”
Nikki climbed down into the boat, taking the center bench while Adam cast off and took the tiller. The small rig put-putted away from the dock. On any other night, Nikki might have enjoyed the leisurely trip across the lake, but now she sat hunched forward as if she could somehow will more horsepower into the motor. The moon was up and full. Anyone looking out a window or from the top of the embankment could easily spot them. The term “sitting ducks” came to mind. She glanced around uneasily.
Once they were far enough out, she could trace the outline of the bridge where she’d first seen Adam all those years ago and, farther down the lake, what she imagined to be the looming silhouette of the smokestack and the crumbling roofline of the Ruins. She remembered seeing him there, as well, could even recall a word or two of their brief conversation. He’d tried to draw her out, but she’d been suspicious of his interest and protective of her privacy. She hadn’t wanted to take the chance that he might
