The Partner’s Secret

Law enforcement in Fitzgerald Bay is full of Fitzgeralds, from the chief of police to brand-new detective Keira Fitzgerald. Are they tampering with a murder investigation to protect one of their own? Internal affairs detective Nick Delfino is sent undercover to investigate the powerful clan. Yet the deeper he digs, the more Nick comes to admire the Fitzgeralds…especially his rookie partner, Keira. When a killer targets Nick, can he maintain his cover, catch his attacker and protect Keira while the looming danger closes in?

The Rookie’s Assignment

Valerie Hansen

www.millsandboon.co.uk

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Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

—James 1:2–4

I never participate in a series without thanking my fellow authors. In this case, they are Shirlee McCoy, Rachelle McCalla, Stephanie Newton, Lynette Eason and Terri Reed. I’d also like to thank retired officer and author Lee Lofland for steering my fictitious police officers out of trouble as much as possible.

And thanks to my husband Joe and friend Karen for proofing. Any mistakes left after their reading are probably ones I made later!

Special thanks and acknowledgment to Valerie Hansen for her contribution to the Fitzgerald Bay miniseries.

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Epilogue

Dear Reader

Questions for Discussion

ONE

Consider the joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

James 1:2–4

Eager to get to work, rookie officer Keira Fitzgerald paused on the stoop behind the Main Street police station just long enough to stomp snow off her boots and fill her lungs with the crisp, clean sea air of the Massachusetts coast.

The moment she stepped inside the building she sensed an undercurrent of discontent that nearly stopped her in her tracks. Something was definitely not normal.

Stripping off her gloves, hat and jacket she headed straight for her brother Douglas’s desk.

“What’s going on? I haven’t heard this much grumbling since the Minutemen lost their last football game.”

Captain Douglas Fitzgerald raised his blue eyes—a familial trait he shared with Keira—and arched his brows. “You’d better go find out for yourself. The chief is waiting.”

“For me? Why?”

“I’ll let him tell you.”

“Hey, I thought big brothers were supposed to look out for their sisters.”

“Believe me, Keira, if there was anything I could do to get you out of this, I would.”

“Out of what?” She sent a comical grimace his way, hoping that teasing would loosen him up. Instead, he merely shook his head and jerked a thumb toward their father’s closed office door.

“Okay, okay. I get it. I’m going.”

She smoothed her short, dark hair and checked every aspect of her neatly ironed blue uniform before knocking on Aiden Fitzgerald’s door and peeking in. “Morning, Chief. You wanted to see me?”

“Yes,” Aiden said. “Come in. There’s someone I want you to meet.”

Keira was duly impressed the moment her gaze swept over the man standing beside her father. Probably about thirty, he wasn’t taller or more muscular than her brothers, and his hair was brown instead of Fitzgerald black, yet there was something extremely formidable about him. Maybe it was the way he studied her, his hazel eyes seeming to change to the sea-green color of his pullover sweater.

“This is Keira Fitzgerald, the officer I was telling you about,” the chief said. “Keira, Nick Delfino.”

Smiling slightly she extended her hand. “Pleased to meet you.”

Although Nick accepted her overture with a firm grip he didn’t return her smile. “My pleasure.”

“Welcome to Fitzgerald Bay.” Keira had to stop herself from nervously wiping her hand on the side of her uniform pants as soon as he released it. Not only had his handshake been firm, his warm touch had sent tingles zipping through her fingertips. She clasped her hands together. “Sorry. I just came in. It’s freezing out there.”

“Nick is from Boston. He’s used to our climate,” Aiden said. He cleared his throat. “He’s been reassigned here to temporarily assist us in our investigation of the murder.”

“The Olivia Henry murder,” Nick added.

So that was what was bugging Douglas and the others. Their expertise was being challenged. No wonder she’d sensed so much tension in the air this morning. Nobody liked having their work questioned—especially not by some supposed hotshot from the big city. Then again, maybe they did need help. They hadn’t made much progress on that case in the month since the body had been discovered.

Poor Olivia had been working as a nanny for Keira’s brother Charles Fitzgerald, taking care of his young, motherless twins when she’d been murdered. The town was still reeling over her death and the senselessness of the killing, not to mention the undercurrent of unrest that lingered due to their inability to solve the case.

When her father didn’t elaborate, Keira felt compelled to rise to his defense. “That’s the only murder investigation we’re working on. I assure you, Fitzgerald Bay is not a bit like Boston.”

“I see.” One corner of Nick’s mouth twitched as if he might be laughing at them on the inside, even if he was too polite to let it out.

Aiden cleared his throat and Keira could tell that he was deeply troubled. It was natural for her father, as police chief, to take any serious crimes personally. She just wished they’d get this particular file closed—for everybody’s sake.

“I’m teaming you up on the Henry case, at least for the time being,” the chief said, looking from one to the other. He finally settled his gaze on Keira. “Nick is a highly experienced detective, which is the main reason I agreed to let him help us out. I had already talked to an old friend in law enforcement about bringing in fresh eyes so I didn’t hesitate when I got a call from the State Police recommending we utilize Nick. I’m sure he can teach us plenty.”

Her eyes widened and her mouth gaped. “But…”

“No buts, Keira. I’m speaking as your chief and as your father. When I partner you with any of our regular officers, especially with your brothers, I worry that they’ll risk their lives to protect you.”

“Of course they would. I’d do the same for them,” she insisted, frowning and embracing Douglas’s defensive mood more fully by the second.

“That’s beside the point. You wanted to be a cop, so be one. You know this town inside out. You’re the perfect person to acquaint Nick with everything he needs to know to conduct a successful investigation.”

“Yes, sir.”

Under other circumstances she might have given her dad a cheery, comic salute to encourage him and make him smile. This time, she cautioned herself; they needed to present a fully professional front. Three of her four brothers, Ryan, Owen and Douglas, as well as the chief, were members of the Fitzgerald Bay Police Department. They had a reputation to uphold. Particularly in the presence of this interloper.

“I already have my uniforms and lieutenant’s brass,” Nick announced. “All I’ll need is a FBPD badge and I’ll be set. I can start immediately if you want.”

“Fine.” Aiden produced the ID Nick had asked for, then dropped down onto his leather desk chair as if the weight of the world lay on his shoulders. “That’s all. You may go.”

Keira’s cool glance met Nick’s resolute one and held it for long seconds before she led the way out of the private office.

“I’d tell you I was sorry you got saddled with a rookie like me if I didn’t think I was the one being picked on,” she said over her shoulder as they proceeded into the main part of the station.

“No problem. You aren’t the first partner I’ve had who wasn’t particularly thrilled with me.”

She couldn’t help herself. The opportunity for wry humor was just too perfect to pass up so she sent him the most sardonically sweet smile she could muster and said, “Good to know. Add my name to that list, will you?”

Nick had been floored when the beautiful, dark-haired young woman had waltzed into the chief’s office.

That was a cop? Not in his book. Keira Fitzgerald didn’t look able to take adequate care of herself, let alone fight crime. No wonder her father had assigned her to him. At least that would keep her out of trouble. For now. If he decided that the whole department was dirty, as he’d been led to suspect, he was pretty sure the starry-eyed rookie would find that conclusion impossible to accept.

Yeah, Nick thought, remembering what had happened after his last successful assignment in Boston, but Keira probably won’t try to shoot me over it. That was a definite plus in his book.

Briefings and his own additional internet research had shown him that the Fitzgerald Bay Police Department hierarchy was mainly composed of Fitzgeralds; Ryan was the deputy chief, Owen was a detective and Douglas was a captain, not to mention rookie Keira and the chief. Which was one of the primary reasons Nick had been recruited by the Massachusetts State Police to conduct this undercover Internal Affairs investigation.

It wasn’t going to be easy. Cops normally stuck together. Add the fact that many of these officers were blood relatives and you had an impenetrable barrier to the truth, particularly since Charles, the only Fitzgerald brother who wasn’t on the force, happened to be a suspect in the Olivia Henry murder.

“Well, I suppose you want to get started right away,” Keira said, pausing beside a small, cluttered desk that Nick assumed was hers.

“Yes. I got here last night but I wasn’t sure when the chief would want me to start so I left my uniforms in my room at the inn across the street. I’ll go change and be right back.”

“I may as well walk over with you. I can introduce you to the staff of the Sugar Plum Café and Inn as part of your orientation.”

“Okay.” He didn’t care if she dogged his steps 24/7. The more details he observed and could put into his report, the faster he’d be done with this assignment and could get back to his regular job—starting with looking into a few of his old cases that were still nettling him.

Holding the front door for her to pass he said, “I’d like to begin with you, if you don’t mind. I understand you were present when the body was found.”

“Not exactly,” Keira replied. “A bunch of us were at my father’s house when we heard the call and headed over there. Olivia had been late for a lunch date with a friend, Merry O’Leary. It was Merry who spotted her lying at the bottom of a cliff near the lighthouse. We thought she’d just slipped and fallen until some men rappelled down there and could inspect the scene closely.”

“It looked like murder right away?”

Keira shook her head. “Not exactly. Like the report says, at first glance we thought Olivia had fallen. It was the bloody rock nearby and the way she hadn’t bled much after she landed that made us suspect foul play.”

“How many bystanders had already tromped all over the evidence by then?”

Watching her face closely he saw nothing but honesty underlying her prompt denial. “None. I just told you. A couple men went down the cliff on ropes before we did anything else.”

“Why take that approach?”

“When you see the area you’ll understand. That was by far the fastest way in, and at that time we weren’t sure whether Olivia was injured or actually dead.”

Nick noted that his new partner shivered as she spoke and wondered just how much of a rookie she was. “This is your first major case?”

She rolled her eyes and tried to smile at him, failing miserably. “Oh, yes. The only death I remember ever seeing up close was a pet hamster I had when I was a kid.”

She paused, swallowed and licked her lips, making Nick slightly uncomfortable for reasons he couldn’t quite fathom.

“I refused to look in the casket at my mother’s funeral,” Keira continued. “I wanted to remember her when she was happy and full of life.”

“I’m sorry for your loss, but having to deal with tragedy is part of this job. Surely you knew that when you chose a career in law enforcement.”

That observation brought a smile back to Keira’s face and a twinkle to her bright blue eyes. “Yeah, well… I’m afraid I pictured my job more as that of an understanding friend, kindly suggesting that lawbreakers behave themselves instead of having to exert authority over folks who have known me since I was a kid.”

“Sometimes there are far worse problems to deal with, as you found out.”

“I sure did,” she said with a nod. “The hard way.”

Keira appreciated the inn’s welcoming beauty more every time she visited. Victoria Evans had kept the flavor of the old building when she’d returned to Fitzgerald Bay to take over the business, and most of its clients openly complimented her on the ambience of the inn and the delicious food served in the café.

Some locals had predicted that the long-ago sins of Victoria’s father would keep away customers but that hadn’t happened. Other than a few folks who still mourned for Patrick Fitzgerald, Keira’s cousin, whom Victoria’s father had killed while driving drunk, Victoria seemed to have overcome her dad’s heartbreaking history. Even Patrick’s most defensive kin seemed to have mellowed during the past ten years, although there was still a lingering touch of animosity that saddened Keira.

As Nick started up the gracefully carved stairway to the second floor, she called after him, “I’ll wait right here.”

And I hope I don’t look half as uncomfortable as I feel, she added to herself. This was one of those times when she would have given just about anything to be free to turn on her heel and stalk out the door—without her new partner.

Unfortunately, it was her job to stick with the guy, to babysit him, so to speak. She could do that. She might not like it but she could do it. What was it that the Bible said in the book of James about withstanding adversity? Something about testing bringing maturity, if she remembered right. Admittedly she was only twenty-three and pretty inexperienced. Maybe this was the Lord’s way of making her better at her job.

A shout and a heavy thud from above startled her out of her reverie. While other guests and employees froze and stared at the ceiling, Keira sprang into action.

Her boots thudded up the carpeted steps. What was going on? And why did it seem as if the whole inn was holding its breath?

I am, too, she realized, gulping air. The heel of her hand rested on the grip of her .40 Glock but she didn’t draw it. No sense brandishing a gun if calming words would do the trick.

She reached the top of the stairs in time to hear another crash. And another. Then glass breaking.

Inching her way down the hallway she tried to pinpoint the source of the sounds. There? No. Down there. One more door? Maybe.

Pressing her spine against the wall she stood to the side, out of the line of fire, just as she’d been taught at the academy, before readying her gun and knocking. “Police! Open up.”

The door swung in. A man’s shoulder and foot stuck out the opening for such a brief time they were hardly more than a blur.

Before Keira could swivel fully to confront him, he was jerked backward. The door slammed. She wasn’t certain who or what she’d seen but she was positive one of the colors involved had been the sea-green of Nick Delfino’s pullover sweater!

Hoping the door was unlocked she grabbed the knob. It turned! She was in. Almost.

Someone or something crashed against the door on the opposite side just as she was easing it open. The sudden jolt staggered her. By the time she’d regained her equilibrium, the door had bounced against the cracked frame and was standing ajar.

Keira gave it a shove with her free hand and peered inside. The room was a shambles. Its occupant didn’t look as though he was in very good shape, either.

She didn’t need police training to tell that Nick had gotten the worst of the brief altercation. He was half sitting, half lying on the polished hardwood floor, while examining the back of his head with one hand.

She directed the gun’s barrel at the ceiling as she crouched next to him. “What happened?”

“Prowler.” Acting groggy, he pointed to the open window. “That way.”

“Will you be okay if I leave you?”

“Just get him,” Nick ordered, rapidly regaining his senses and with them his air of authority. “Be careful.”

A quick trip to the window let Keira scan the snow- covered alley, then lean out just enough to see what lay directly below. There was no one visible.

She raced downstairs, scanning the area and seeing no one but concerned residents. She ran around back. No one. With a final assessment, Keira rushed back upstairs.

“He got away,” she told Nick as she holstered her automatic and reached for the radio clipped to her belt.

By the time she’d made her report and was ready to quiz Nick further, he’d gotten to his feet and was in the bathroom, washing his face and peering into the mirror.

Keira stood behind him at the open door, unable to keep from smiling. Except for a few bruises and a possible shiner, it looked as if her new partner wasn’t badly injured. That was a relief.

Frowning, he met her eyes in the mirror. “What are you grinning at?”

“Just glad to see you’re okay. How did he get the best of you, anyway? You look like a guy who can handle himself in a fight.”

“A fair fight. He conked me when I opened the door. It would have been a lot easier to hit him back if I hadn’t kept seeing two or three versions of him coming at me at once.”

Nick blotted his face with a towel, then turned to her and crossed his arms. “Which reminds me. When you went to school, didn’t they teach you to assume there’d be more than one perp at every crime scene? You came in here blind and didn’t even bother to check the closet or the bathroom.”

“I don’t believe it,” Keira said, astonished and more than a little chagrined when she realized Nick had a valid point. “I chase away a prowler and rescue you, and all you can do is chew me out for how I did it.”

“I’m trying to keep you alive,” Nick said flatly. “You can’t let your emotions get in the way of common sense and training when you’re on duty. The next time, that kind of carelessness might get you killed.”

“I told you before. We don’t have serious violence in Fitzgerald Bay. It just doesn’t happen.”

As Nick raised one eyebrow, he winced. “Oh, really? Tell that to Olivia Henry.”

“That was a low blow.”

“No,” Nick said, shaking his head. “It was a fact. One you seem to be forgetting. If I were you, I’d be on edge every second until her killer’s caught.” He paused, staring as if he could look right through his new partner. “Unless you happen to know who the murderer is and you’re not afraid of him.”

“Why would I not…?” Keira’s jaw dropped. “Oh, no, you don’t. Forget any rumors that may be floating around town. My brother Charles is not only a doctor, he’s a kind, loving man. Olivia was his children’s nanny. That’s all. He didn’t have a thing to do with her death.”

“Then prove it to me, starting by staying alert and on your guard.”

“Against the murderer, you mean?”

“Against everybody,” Nick said soberly. “Until we catch whoever hit that woman and pushed her off the cliff, a real cop would look at everyone as a possible suspect.” His eyes narrowed. “Even her own brother.”

TWO

Keira saw no reason to keep arguing with Nick about Charles so she decided to change the subject. “All right, I will admit I wasn’t in top form when I came to your rescue. I’ll do better next time.”

That brought a chuckle she hadn’t expected. He gestured at the ruins of his room. “Let’s hope there is no next time. The proprietor will probably kick me out after she sees this mess.”

“I was meaning to ask why you’d booked a room here. Wouldn’t you rather rent an apartment, even if it’s only for a month or two?”

He paused for several seconds before saying, “Sure, but where would I find one?”

“I think I may have an idea. I’ll have to check with Douglas—Captain Fitzgerald—first. In the meantime, you’d better find your uniforms and make sure they’re okay.”

“Let’s wait till your lab techs have processed the scene, shall we? I’d hate to disturb any clues.”

Keira had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. “Our what?”

The befuddled expression on Nick’s face finally pushed her over the edge and she did chuckle softly before waving her hands in the air and apologizing. “Sorry. I was just imagining what it must be like to have specialists at your fingertips, night and day. Around here we do pretty much everything ourselves.”

“Okay. I get it.”

“I don’t think you do.”

“Meaning?”

She hesitated in order to choose her words carefully, then explained. “Meaning, the Henry case. Like I told you, the minute we suspected we had a homicide we treated that victim and the scene with the utmost care. Everything was handled professionally, even though there was a storm brewing and Olivia’s body was at the bottom of that steep cliff. Some of the evidence was probably affected by the fall, the surf and the weather but we did the best anyone could have. We’re not hicks. We know how important it is to preserve possible evidence.”

“I read the reports,” Nick said.

“Then you also know we didn’t write the parts dealing with the processing of the evidence. Everything went to Boston, with the body, for examination there.”

“But you did investigate the whereabouts of possible suspects and check their alibis.”

“Yes. So?”

Keira had assumed he was going to want to question a few persons of interest again but she was floored when he looked straight at her and said, “So, how can you be certain that everything in the file is accurate?”

“Of course it is. Why wouldn’t it be?” she countered, bracing for another dose of his unwarranted skepticism.

Although Nick shook his head at her and appeared incredulous, he nevertheless answered, “Because not everybody in this world is on the up-and-up, rookie. One of these days you’re going to take off those rose-colored glasses and see people for what they really are. Liars. Cheats. Self-serving hypocrites.”

“It must have been really hard to work in Boston,” she said with a tinge of sadness. “I’m sorry for you.”

“Don’t be sorry for me. Be sorry for all the nameless, faceless victims who never get justice because others decide to bend the truth for their own sakes.” His pause didn’t give Keira time to reply before he added, “Or for the sake of their friends or family.”

That was another veiled accusation if she’d ever heard one. “Knock it off, mister. My family is innocent of any crimes, now or in the past. We’re the good guys around here, in case you haven’t noticed. My dad has devoted his life to upholding the law, my uncle Mickey is the fire chief and my grandfather is mayor.”

“And three of your brothers are cops. I’ve never seen a town with more nepotism or more chances to sweep dirt under the rug than this one has. Look at it from my point of view, Keira. If you were an outsider, what would you think?”

“I wouldn’t condemn people just because they’re in a position to falsify evidence, that’s for sure. My brothers would never be a part of any kind of a cover-up.”

The rumble of his voice made the hair on the nape of her neck prickle when he stared at her and replied, “I sure hope you’re right.”

“I am. And once you’ve talked to all the people who were there and seen the truth for yourself, I’ll expect an apology.”

“If it’s due, you’ll get it,” Nick said. “Nothing would please me more.”

Nick welcomed the timely arrival of Captain Douglas Fitzgerald and one of the regular officers, a stocky guy named Hank Monroe. Monroe was a bit of a blowhard and thoroughly unlikable from the get-go but the captain seemed genuinely concerned about the incident.

“You didn’t get a good look at the guy?” Douglas asked, his pen poised to take notes.

“No. Sorry.” Nick was only half listening as he watched Monroe dusting for prints. “He was wearing a ski mask and a knit cap. I think he probably had on gloves, too. It felt like it when he hit me.”

“Age? Weight? Distinguishing marks?”

Shrugging, Nick felt a muscle in his shoulder cramp so he kneaded it as he answered. “I’d have to guess by the way he moved. Maybe forties, maybe a little older. And he outweighed me, although it was hard to tell if it was muscle or flab under his heavy black coat. Like I said, I was pretty groggy after he conked me.”

“Any notion what he might have been after?”

Nick shook his head. “Not a clue. I don’t think he’d been in the room long because he didn’t touch my suitcases or my laptop. Most of this damage was caused when we fought.”

He could tell that Douglas wasn’t satisfied but there was nothing he could do to remedy the situation—other than suggest that someone might have targeted him because he had come to Fitzgerald Bay to investigate the unsolved murder. It would be interesting to find out how many people already knew why he was in town.

“Okay,” Douglas said. “If you think of anything else, you know where to find me. What are you planning to do for the rest of the day?”

“That’s up to Keira.” Noticing the other man’s raised eyebrow Nick smiled and added, “I’d call her Officer Fitzgerald but there are so many of you floating around, I figured it would get too confusing.”

“Sometimes it does,” the captain replied. “See you later, then.” He touched the brim of his cap, nodded to his sister and started to leave.

“Wait, Douglas,” Keira said. “Nick needs a place to live, especially now. How about renting him the condo?”

“Well…”

Nick could tell the other man wasn’t particularly keen on having him for a tenant so he provided a way out. “Don’t worry about it. I can stay here.”

“That’s okay,” Douglas said, visibly relaxing as he spoke. “I converted an old flour mill down by the river. It’s not fancy but I’d be glad to rent to you. Just got the second unit finished, as a matter of fact, and my sisters decorated it a bit.”

“Sisters?” Nick eyed Keira. “Oh, that’s right. There is one more sibling, isn’t there?” He grinned. “Is she a cop, too?”

“No way,” Keira said. “I wasn’t supposed to be one, either. Everybody expected me to go to work with my big sister, Fiona, in her bookstore, but I had other ideas.”

“Now, why does that not surprise me?” Nick said, sharing a conspiratorial glance with her brother.

“That’s what we got for letting Keira tag along too much when we were kids. She was always trying to outrun or outclimb or outswim us boys.” Douglas smiled. “And she did, too. More often than I care to admit.” He reached over and playfully attempted to ruffle her hair as she ducked out of reach. “She’s one tough cookie.”

“You could have fooled me until I saw her in action,” Nick said, figuring it was better to join in the teasing than to behave too stiffly.

To his surprise, the captain sobered as his gaze swept the messy room. “I don’t like this. See that you look after her well, Delfino.”

“Spoken as her brother or a brother officer?”

“Both,” Douglas assured him.

One glance at Keira told Nick she was not happy with the direction their masculine discussion had taken. That was no surprise. Her academy records had already told him she was smart as well as being a crack shot.

Although he understood her desire to serve in her hometown with other members of her family, she would have been able to pass muster in just about any department in the state. Given the way her brothers and father were trying to coddle her, perhaps that career choice would have been a better one.

Nick began to smile as he made up his mind how to play this. “Okay, if you insist,” he drawled. “But only if she promises to keep saving my skin, too, like she did a few minutes ago.” He held out his hand to her. “Thanks, partner. I owe you one.”

Keira grinned from ear to ear as they shook hands.

It was not going to be a struggle to treat her as an equal, Nick decided. She’d worked hard to make it this far and she deserved the badge she wore so proudly.

He just hoped the rest of her family was as upstanding and honest as he’d already judged her to be. If, as he suspected, the Fitzgeralds were the only ones who had known why he was in town—to a point, anyway—then the ransacking of his room led straight back to them.

In that event, would it be foolish to rent an apartment from Douglas? No, he decided. Although Douglas probably thought he could keep an eye on Nick that way, there was a good possibility Nick could turn the tables and do a little snooping of his own.

There was an old saying he often thought of in situations like this. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.

That motto had never failed him before. The hardest part of his Internal Affairs job was telling the difference between his friends and his enemies.

After Nick had returned from a working lunch with the chief, Keira had spent the rest of the afternoon listening as Nick casually interviewed her brothers Ryan and Douglas, plus Hank Monroe, mainly because they happened to be the ones he encountered in the office.

When Nick arrived at the station the following morning she jumped to her feet, more than ready to give him a promised tour of the town.

“How about driving around a little to orient you?” she asked before he had a chance to even remove his jacket. “I know you’ll want to talk to some of the witnesses besides us.”

It wasn’t exactly comforting when Nick arched a brow and asked, “Why the big hurry?”

“It’s not that I’m trying to rush you off,” Keira said. “I just feel dumb sitting here like a barnacle on a pier piling and not accomplishing a thing. We’ve all been through this before. You’ve read the reports. Surely there’s somewhere you want to go or someone you want to question.”

“As a matter of fact, I’ve already talked with the lady who owns the inn and café and her staff,” Nick said. “Last night, I had her move me into the same room Olivia Henry occupied when she first came to town.”

“Why? I thought you were going to rent from my brother.”

“I probably am. But I needed a handy place to sleep that wasn’t a shambles and I also wanted to have a chance to go over the victim’s former suite at my own pace. Didn’t your department do that?”

Keira made a face. “I don’t think so. It had been months since Olivia had stayed at the Sugar Plum.”

“Still, there’s always a chance she left something behind, either by accident or on purpose.”

“Well?” Keira faced him, hands on her hips. “Did you find any clues?”

“No. But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t have looked just the same. You never know. She did leave that letter to her ‘Sweetheart’ with—who was it? Merry?”

“Yes. I told you they were friends. That info is all in the file, too. Why do you keep acting as if we’re either foolhardy or hiding something?”

“I don’t mean anything of the kind,” Nick insisted. He squared his cap on his head. “So, where shall we go first?”

The car Keira chose for their official use was a black-and-white, four-wheel-drive, short-bodied utility vehicle. Other than her personal motorcycle, which she’d had to forgo riding due to the snow and ice, she liked this unit best.

Right now, she figured it was important to acquaint Nick with her town, with the interesting if quirky residents, and get him used to patrolling these narrow, cobblestone streets. Unfortunately, he didn’t seem to be paying much attention to her spiel or to the passing points of interest she was mentioning.

She frowned and quieted. All she could see was his profile. What was he studying so intently? And why did he keep peering into the side mirror that way?

“Hey. What’s wrong?” she asked, surprised to see him twitch at the sound of her voice. Boy, when that guy concentrated, he really concentrated.

“Nothing. Why?”

“Because you keep looking behind us as if you think we’re being followed.”

His head snapped around. “Did you notice something out of place?”

“Of course not. Why are you so nervous? I wouldn’t think catching a prowler in your room would upset you so much. Is your head bothering you? Maybe you have a concussion. Do you need to see a doctor?”

“My head’s fine. Let’s drop the subject of my fitness for duty, shall we?”

“Sure. No problem,” she said, although what she really wanted to do was insist he tell her why he was acting so edgy. Everything looked normal to Keira. Then again, she did see one strange pickup truck traveling in their direction about half a block back.

Disgusted, she shook off her misgivings. They crossed Oak Street, heading past the red-roofed old lighthouse keeper’s quarters where her brother Charles and the twins resided. Keeping an eye on the reflections in her mirror she watched the nondescript truck turn and disappear down an alley.

See? There was nothing to it, Keira assured herself. So there were one or two vehicles around town that she couldn’t readily ID. So what? That didn’t mean there was any reason to jump at shadows the way her new partner seemed so prone to do.

Maybe he had personal problems, she concluded. If so, he’d come to the right place for healing. Except for the one recent murder—the first they’d had there in over forty years—he’d have absolutely nothing to worry about. Fitzgerald Bay was probably the safest town in the whole state of Massachusetts.

“I’ll swing by Douglas’s condo so you can see if it suits you,” Keira said. “It should feel more like a real home than the inn does.”

He shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. Any port in a storm.”

“Really? What kind of place do you have in Boston?”

“The usual.”

The last thing he wanted to do was discuss his private life, not that he had much to talk about beyond his job. His Boston apartment was little more than a convenient place to crash. And the few romances that had crossed his path had always faltered because of his dedication to duty. At least that’s what those women had each claimed when they’d broken up with him.

Nick glanced in the mirror for the hundredth time. His eyes narrowed. Could that be the same old truck he’d been watching a few minutes ago?

“Do you recognize the tan pickup behind us?” he asked.

“Not offhand, although I saw a similar one earlier. Want me to slow down so you can get a look at the license?”

Swiveling, Nick loosened his seat belt. “Don’t bother. There’s ice or snow plastered on the plate. I can’t even tell what state it’s from.”

“I could pull over and let him pass.”

“No. Keep driving steady.”

“Why am I getting the idea this is more than curiosity on your part?” Keira asked, hands fisted on the wheel, eyes on the road.

“Just being cautious.” He wasn’t about to reveal the nagging notion that someone was already bent on stopping him from doing his job in Fitzgerald Bay. Whether he was dealing with a conspiracy or with an individual was a moot point. Danger was danger no matter who was behind it.

Of course, there was also a chance that his imagination was playing tricks on him. It had before.

Yet it was that kind of keen awareness of surroundings that kept veteran officers alive. He’d be a fool to laugh it off.

THREE

Nick was out of the vehicle the moment Keira came to a stop at the curb in front of the condo. Remaining close to the SUV he waited for her to join him.

“See anything now?” she asked.

“No.” Although her position wasn’t too exposed, it didn’t suit him so he nudged her between himself and the side of the car.

“Then why are we skulking around? This is broad daylight in Fitzgerald Bay, not the middle of the night in some dark alley in Boston.”

He forced himself to relax on the outside while his heightened senses continued their vigilance. “Look. Whoever was ransacking my room might have been no more than a run-of-the-mill thief. Or—” he cleared his throat “—he might have been somebody who knows why I’m here and intends to stop me, one way or another.”

“Hardly anybody was aware of your assignment yesterday when you surprised the burglar, though.”

“I’m not so sure of that. By the time I had a little chat with the proprietor of the inn around suppertime, she seemed to know all about me. She even understood why I wanted to transfer into Olivia’s old room for the night.”

“What can I tell you? It’s a small town.”

“Okay. So what if somebody is trying to convince me to give up and go back to Boston? Who do you know who might object to my being brought in to investigate the Henry killing?”

Keira chuckled quietly, grinned and arched her eyebrows at him. “Is that a trick question?”

It was frustrating to see that she wasn’t taking this situation seriously enough. That was the problem with being raised in the same place she was sworn to protect. She liked it here so much that she was unable to see the worst, even when it was staring her in the face.

“Look,” Nick said, “I know none of you are thrilled to have me butting in on your murder case but the chief did agree to accept my help so we may as well bite the bullet, so to speak, and make the best of it.”

“Agreed.”

“Good. That’s a start. You also need to anticipate heightened danger once we poke our noses into other people’s business. I don’t think you’re ready for that.”

“We’ve been over this subject before, Delfino. What do you expect me to do, suspect everybody?”

“All I’m asking is that you keep an open mind in both directions, good and bad. Just because a person may be familiar to you, that doesn’t make them innocent.”

“Aren’t you getting tired of hinting that my brother is guilty? I’m sure getting tired of listening to you.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Sounded like it to me.” She pushed past him and started for the condo. “Take my advice. You’ll get along a lot better around here by keeping your unfounded deductions to yourself.”

Nick followed closely, continuing to scan the area. “Noted. Look, Keira, I’m not oblivious to your family conflict. I’ll back your decision if you ask to be reassigned.” To his astonishment he saw her set her jaw and start to shake her head.

“Uh-uh. Not on your life. You’re supposed to be the best. I not only want to learn from you, I want to be in on solving poor Olivia’s murder. She didn’t deserve to die, and whoever is responsible needs to pay. Scripture says that vengeance is the Lord’s but I’d be overjoyed to have Him use me—use us—to bring that killer to justice.”

“I believe you,” Nick said, smiling in spite of himself. “You’re quite a woman.”

“I’m a cop,” she countered, chin lifted proudly. “That’s what I was born to be and that’s all that matters right now. We’ll get along fine as long as you add that important fact to the list of other things I’ve told you.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said with a snappy salute.

“Humph.” Keira made a fist and slugged him playfully on the upper arm while exhibiting a lopsided smile. “I’m glad we understand each other. Remember, I grew up with four brothers. If I could hold my own with them, I can certainly keep up with you.”

She produced a key. “Come on. Let’s have a look at the apartment. I think you’ll like it.”

As Keira unlocked the front door of the former flour mill, he studied the old stone building. It had two visible stories, indicated by parallel rows of multipaned windows. The idle wooden waterwheel had been left in place on one side and definitely increased the rustic structure’s character.

Several cars were inching past, obviously taking it easy because of the slick roadways and the hidden hazards presented by the cobblestones beneath the packed snow and ice.

At first, Nick didn’t notice anything odd. Then, in the background, he spotted a truck that looked like the one that had been following them before. It was parked in a private driveway with only the front part of its hood visible from behind a board fence. Clouds of rising exhaust indicated that the motor was running.

He tapped Keira’s shoulder. “Wait. Look. Do you see what I see?”

She wheeled. “Where?”

“There. Half a block south. By the yellow house.”

“That property belongs to the Smiths. They always go away for the winter.”

“Any chance they’re home now?”

“No. Their nephew sometimes stops by to check the place but he drives a red SUV so that’s not him, either.”

“Only one way to find out for sure what’s going on, then.” Nick was scanning the surrounding area. “It’s too open right around here. What’s the best way to work my way there on foot without being spotted?”

“The mill basement joins up with a river that’s probably still frozen solid. We could travel along the banks until we got to some cover, then cut through a few backyards and come up behind him.”

“Not we. I,” Nick said firmly.

“But…”

“No buts, rookie. I’ll need you to keep an eye on that truck and provide a distraction if necessary.”

“Okay, okay,” she finally said with a sigh. “Come on. I’ll show you through to the back.”

Nick followed her. The vacant apartment was sparsely furnished yet appealing. Crossing the polished, wood-floored living space they hurried through the kitchen to a door that led them down a dusty flight of stairs into the former grain-storage area. The cavernous, musty-smelling room served as a catchall for extra building supplies and some antiquated milling equipment.

Keira threw a dead bolt and slid open a heavy, wooden, garage-type door. She pointed. “Head that way. It’s a little steep but not bad. Once you reach the river, keep off the ice just in case it’s starting to melt.”

Nick might have rolled his eyes at her if she hadn’t looked so apprehensive. Truth to tell, he’d been skating on figurative thin ice ever since he’d taken that first IA assignment and had begun to seek out and expose crooked cops—the kind who gave the whole profession a bad name.

“I know enough to keep from breaking through the ice,” he said wryly.

“Sorry. Be careful, okay?”

“I will.” He pointed back up at the living area they had just passed through. “Turn on a light in there so it looks like I’m making myself at home, then go back out to the patrol car and be ready for a pursuit if it comes to that.”

“Gotcha.” She reached for her belt, unclipped a small leather case and handed it to him. “Here. There’s a base radio in the car so you can take mine.”

“Thanks. Call me if he makes the slightest move. And don’t look so grim. I won’t get lost.”

“See that you don’t.”

Glad that he’d thought to order her back to the SUV where she’d be safe, he clipped the handheld radio to his belt and started off at a jog. The way he saw it, the less Keira was exposed to added risk, the better he’d feel.

The thought of what her reaction would be if he actually said as much made him smile. Admittedly, his initial judgment of her capabilities had been too low but she was still far too green to be considered reliable, at least in his professional opinion. Many a rookie had learned the hard way that real life on the streets wasn’t the same as acing tests in a classroom. Keira Fitzgerald was one cop he wanted to see get her seasoning without being hurt along the way.

Or disillusioned, he added. He didn’t know what she’d do if her brother Charles turned out to be a murderer.

Racing back up the stairs and into the living room, Keira flipped a light switch on the wall and raised the blinds so any observer would be sure to notice occupancy. Using the side of her fist she wiped condensation off the window pane and peered out.

The tan truck remained parked where it had been, still puffing exhaust. What she couldn’t see was whether or not the driver had stayed behind the wheel. That didn’t really matter. If Nick radioed for help, and she prayed he wouldn’t have to, she’d be back in the patrol car, waiting and watching, just as he’d ordered.

Checking the readiness of her Glock she holstered it and headed for the street. The trick was to appear nonchalant in case she was being watched. Part of her kept insisting she was being silly while the part that had listened to Nick’s warnings shivered and surreptitiously scanned her surroundings.

Her jaw dropped when she noticed a crouching figure working his way closer, moving from shrub to shrub in nearby yards. Her initial reaction provided a jolt of adrenaline. Then, she realized who and what she was seeing.

Nick? It was him! The man must have run all the way in spite of the slippery riverbanks. And, judging by the darker-looking knees and ankles of his uniform, he hadn’t made the trip without getting wet.

Proceeding slowly and taking extra care to avoid staring at Nick, Keira rounded the patrol car and started to open the driver’s door.

In the distance a motor revved. The tan truck they’d been watching was not moving but a different one, a slightly lighter-colored one, was coming toward them from the opposite direction.

Keira reached for her belt out of habit, intending to alert Nick. Of course, there was no radio clipped there. She’d given it to him because he hadn’t picked one up for himself at the station.

Muttering to herself she quickly slid into the SUV and picked up the mike. He didn’t have a call sign so she simply used his name. “Nick. Come in.”

Although he was now hidden from her sight she peered out at the area where she’d last seen him and tried again. “Delfino. Do you copy?”

Still no reply. The hair at the nape of Keira’s neck prickled. Where could he be? Why wasn’t he answering? Only moments ago he’d been working his way closer, so what was keeping him from using his radio? Had something bad happened to him or was he simply observing radio silence because of his present position?

If she spent too much time trying to reach Nick or called him on a different frequency, their dispatcher would surely get involved. Right now, that was the last thing she wanted.

In Keira’s view, this incident with the truck was probably either a simple case of mistaken identity or her new partner was making a mountain out of a molehill. Being around a guy like him was going to take some getting used to. What a pity he was so uptight all the time. Life couldn’t be much fun when he never relaxed.

And speaking of relaxing, she wasn’t going to be able to dial back her own anxiety until her partner responded. She keyed the mike again. “Delfino? Come in?”

What she wanted to do was add, “Don’t make me come out there and get you,” like a mother chiding an unmanageable child, but she restrained herself. He’d be fine. He was a seasoned detective. And, after all, this was Fitzgerald Bay.

Clouds of Nick’s breath condensed in the icy air as he panted, hunched over, hands resting on his knees. A dog barked in the background. Gulls circled and called in the cloudy, grayish sky, concentrating most of their attention on the wharf and the shoreline.

The driveway where he’d last spotted the truck was only a few houses away. To his left was the condo and the police vehicle where Keira waited. So far, so good.

Dropping into a crouch he began to work his way closer to the idling tan truck. Almost there.

Suddenly, the engine roared. Rear tires spinning in the partially melted snow threw icy, gray rooster tails off both sides.

Nick dodged behind the trunk of a tree, peering out in time to see the truck gain traction and slew into the street. It was too late to identify the driver or get even a glimpse of the rear license plate.

His shoulders slumped. Looking toward Keira he saw her standing beside the open door of the SUV and waving something. Nick knew it was the microphone to the police radio because the spiraling black cord stood out against the vehicle’s white door panel.

Confused, he checked the handheld unit she’d given him when they’d split up. Oops. He’d meant to switch it to vibrate so it wouldn’t sound off when he was sneaking up on the truck and he’d apparently turned it all the way off, instead.

Nick displayed it and gave an exaggerated shrug as he approached her. “Sorry.”

“You should be. I was about to call out the marines.” She gestured in the direction the truck had gone. “So, did you get a good look at him?”

“No. How about you?”

“Me? I was cooling my heels just like you’d ordered. I did try to radio when I spotted a similar truck.” She was checking the area as she spoke. “It’s long gone now.”

“Well, that’s that.”

He was starting to get into the passenger side of the SUV when a loud motor caught his attention. He paused and pointed. “You mean that truck?”

“Where? I don’t see…” Keira put one foot inside the car and stepped up to gain a higher vantage point, using the open door for balance.

“Get in!” Nick shouted.

Although Keira did lean down and look at him to ask, “Why?” she didn’t slide into place behind the wheel the way he’d hoped she would.

There was no time to argue. Or to explain. He grabbed a fistful of her jacket and yanked, pulling her off her feet and getting most of her inside with him before the second truck raced past and clipped the half-open door.

Keira yelped.

Metal sliding against metal screeched for a split second.

Nick gathered her up and held tight in spite of the way she was pushing him away. “Stop struggling,” he ordered. “Are you all right?”

“I think so.” He noted her grimacing as she tried to right herself. “I didn’t get my foot all the way inside before he hit us but it’s okay. I don’t suppose you were able to ID that driver, either.”

“No. I was too busy saving your hide, and we shouldn’t go in pursuit until we get the okay on the safety of this damaged vehicle.”

“Then I guess that makes us even in the rescue department. You can let go of me now.”

Nick wondered if she could hear the pounding of his heart. He certainly could. It took immense effort to convince himself to release her and let her slide away.

The crestfallen expression on Keira’s face led him to anticipate her quandary. “Do you want me to call it in?”

“No. I’ll do it.” Her lips were pressed into a thin line and she was obviously dreading making a report in which she admitted damage to department property while it was in her care.

Nevertheless, she gathered up the mike where she’d dropped it when they’d been sideswiped, checked frequencies and keyed it to announce, “Dispatch, this is unit four. All officers are okay after a hit-and-run but this unit’s been damaged. We’ll need assistance.”

Nick listened to the ongoing radio conversation without comment. His partner was all business and sounded totally professional as she gave their location but he could tell she was shaking, inside and out.

Instinct told him to pat her on the shoulder the way he might have a fellow male officer. Good sense told him to keep his hands to himself and remember that his partner was not one of the guys—even if that was how she claimed to see herself. Good sense won.

FOUR

To Keira’s chagrin, her brother Douglas and two other patrol cars arrived quickly, red-and-blue lights flashing. She climbed out to face the music, surprised when Nick stayed close beside her.

She’d thought, for a split second, that the captain might revert to his older-brother habits and hug her as they met but thankfully he restrained himself.

Keira managed a smile. “Hi. This time, Nick gets the credit for saving my neck.”

Douglas arched a brow and scowled at her partner just the same. “Oh? Who was driving?”

“Nobody. We were parked,” Keira announced, waving her hands for emphasis. “Just sitting there minding our own business when a truck came along and sideswiped us.” She made a face. “And no, we couldn’t see who was driving or get the license number. But it shouldn’t be too hard to find an old, light-colored pickup with part of the FBPD logo from that door stuck to his dented fender.”

“Okay.” Captain Fitzgerald turned to give instructions to the other officers before continuing to question her. “If you were in the car, what part did Delfino have in all this?”

“I wasn’t totally inside,” Keira told him. “Nick saw we were about to be hit and jerked me out of the way.” Her smile grew naturally when she glanced over at her partner. “He’s lucky I didn’t slug him before I realized what was actually happening.”

“Can you give us a better description of the truck? Anything? Make, model, year?”

“It was old and rusty,” Nick said, citing a possible manufacturer. “Half-ton. Probably mid-eighties vintage, maybe a little older. The plates weren’t visible. And the driver looked male, although I wouldn’t swear to it.”

“Okay.” Douglas glanced past them to where Hank Monroe was gathering paint scrapings from the creased side of the SUV. “I’ll check it over. Doesn’t look like there’s much damage other than cosmetic. As long as that door still latches you might as well keep driving it until we have a chance to send it out for repairs.”

“This shouldn’t go against Keira’s record,” Nick said. “It wasn’t her fault. There was no way she could have avoided being hit.”

“Noted.” Douglas was eyeing Nick as he spoke and Keira felt compelled to defend him, as well.

“Neither of us is responsible,” she said firmly. “We came here to look at the condo, that’s all.”

“There was no indication of trouble prior to this incident?”

She could tell that her brother didn’t believe they’d had no forewarning so she decided to mention the other truck. “Actually, we had wondered if we were being followed after we left the inn but I don’t think the guy who hit us was the same one we’d been watching, so I can’t see any connection.”

“Followed? Explain.”

“That was my assumption,” Nick said. “I noticed a vehicle behind us and because Keira—Officer Fitzgerald—didn’t recognize it, we were on our guard.”

“And?”

Agreeing with Nick, Keira said, “That’s all there was to it. We thought we saw that particular vehicle parked down by the Smiths’ place so I loaned Nick my radio while he went to check it out. He’d just come back when somebody else decided to remodel my door.” She made a disgusted face as she glanced toward the patrol vehicle.

“We’ve been talking about installing dash cameras,” her brother said. “Maybe this will hurry up the process.” Looking past her, he assessed the scene as he handed her his personal radio. “Here. Take this till you can get an extra for Delfino. Hank and I’ll check the Smiths’ place just in case there’s any evidence over there but I wouldn’t hold my breath.”

“Unfortunately, I didn’t get close enough to see much,” Nick said. “I think that driver took off because he spotted me. I’m just thankful I was back here in time to help Keira.”

“So am I,” the captain said as he extended his hand to Nick. “Thanks.”

“All a part of the job,” Nick replied, accepting the friendly overture. “And while you’re here I may as well tell you that I’ll take the apartment—unless you’ve changed your mind.”

“Fine with me.” He quoted a monthly rate. “We won’t need a long-term lease, will we?”

It didn’t surprise Keira to hear Nick say, “No. I won’t be here long,” but it did take her aback when she felt a twinge of disappointment.

“What do you say we head back to town and grab a bite to eat?” Nick suggested as they drove away.

“Okay. Normally I’d suggest we eat at the Sugar Plum Café but in view of your recent hike up the river, I think it might be best if we went to Connolly’s Catch, down by the marina. It’s a lot more casual and the view of the bay is great.”

“Suits me. You’re driving. Is it far?”

“Not at all.” She was grinning. “I knew you’d like the condo. It has everything a bachelor like you needs. No carpets to vacuum, a simple kitchen, no yard to mow, windows that overlook half the town and two restaurants within walking distance, including the one we’re about to visit. And your neighbor is a fellow cop so there’ll always be somebody to watch your back.”

“What makes you think I need someone to do that? I thought this was basically a safe little town.”

“It was. Until you got here.”

He saw her shiver and decided to keep the rest of his thoughts to himself. After all, she knew about the murderer in their midst and if he mentioned that case too often she was bound to think he was attacking her doctor brother. That was the next person he wanted to meet, Nick decided easily. He’d encountered sociopaths who could skillfully hide their deviant behavior but most murderers were not that clever. If Charles Fitzgerald was half as normal as his sister insisted he was, he’d be easy to figure out.

“Well, here we are. What do you think?”

Nick glanced up at the colorful, enormous sign above the seafood-restaurant roof while Keira parked. “Connolly’s Catch. Interesting. At least it’s not Fitzgeralds’ Fishery or something like that. I was beginning to think there were no other families in town.”

She led the way up the wooden steps and onto the porch before she paused to say, “I have to confess. Vanessa Connolly, the owner, is my aunt. She and Dad are brother and sister.”

Nick smiled and politely held the door for her to pass. “Why am I not surprised?”

“There’s one more brother in that generation, too. Remember? I told you Uncle Mickey is the fire chief.”

“Right. Guess I’d better behave myself, then. You’ve got me surrounded. I think I’m going to need a program to keep all the players straight.”

“You’ll catch on. All you need to remember to stay out of trouble with my relatives is to assume everybody in town is kin. Well, except for the Hennessys and a few other families. Burke Hennessy will probably be Dad’s chief rival for the mayor’s job now that my grandfather has announced his retirement.”

“Hennessy. Hmm. That name rings a bell,” Nick murmured, outwardly directing his attention to the eclectic decor of the restaurant. It was New England kitsch and then some. Nets draped in the corners were dotted with blue-and-green antique glass floats. Harpoons hung crossed on the walls below paintings of whalers in longboats. The jawbone of a whale was suspended above the dining area and the tabletops were reminiscent of the worn plank decks of sailing ships.

“That’s probably because Burke Hennessy was the first one to insist we should blame Charles for Olivia’s murder and he hasn’t shut up about it since,” Keira said softly. “Don’t believe a word that man says. I don’t care what kind of political connections he claims because he’s a lawyer—I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him.”

She cupped a hand around the side of her mouth to add, “It might be best if you didn’t repeat what I just said. I’m supposed to be impartial.”

“Yeah. We all are. It’s just not that easy, is it, rookie?”

“Nope. The more I learn about this job, the harder it gets, and the more I appreciate other officers. It’s tough out there, especially when you can’t tell the good guys from the rest.”

“Welcome to the club.”

Her pretend pout was so cute and so appealing he had to chuckle. Keira Fitzgerald might not be nearing the kind of job perfection she’d strove for but there were other aspects of her persona that were certainly endearing.

Not that he’d dare come right out and tell her so. By the time he was through working in her hometown, his name would be mud. In the long run, it didn’t matter whether he judged her department to be innocent or guilty. He’d still be the undercover investigator who had had to lie to them all in order to do his job and that was the criteria they’d judge him by. In their place he’d have felt exactly the same way. Betrayed.

He breathed deeply, turning an intended sigh into a feast of the marvelously enticing aromas that surrounded them.

Keira stood on tiptoe to wave hello to a middle-aged woman with an infectious grin.

“This is Vanessa Connelly,” Keira said as soon as she joined them. “Aunt Vanessa, meet Nick Delfino, a detective from Boston.”

The older woman shook his hand firmly and regarded him as if he were an interesting specimen caught in one of the fishing nets adorning the walls, although he wasn’t sure what he might be a specimen of. The minute she spoke, however, he got a pretty good idea.

“So, Aiden paired you two up, did he? My, my. Maybe he’s finally taking some of my advice. It’s about time.”

“Nick and I are just working together for a few weeks,” Keira insisted, “so don’t start in on us the way you did with Douglas and Merry O’Leary, okay?”

“Hey, I didn’t do anything. The good Lord made those two compatible, not me.”

“Right.” Keira rolled her eyes. “I’ve been telling Nick how great the food is here so we’d better grab a table. You never know when we might get a call and have to leave in a hurry.”

“I’ll take your order myself and put a rush on it,” Vanessa promised. “The special today is clam chowder and crab cakes. How does that sound?”

Nick nodded and grinned. “If it tastes half as good as this place smells, it’ll be the best thing I’ve ever eaten. Bring it on.”

“Me, too. And iced tea, please,” Keira said. “We’ll sit right here.”

Nick reached to pull out a captain’s chair for her but she was already plunking down in a different one. Edging his own chair around slightly so that his back wasn’t to the door, he joined her.

“Still nervous?” Keira asked.

“Still careful,” he replied with an arched brow and a half smile. “I try to never sit where I can’t see what’s coming. It’s an old habit.”

“And probably a good one.” Keira shifted slightly to make more room for him on her side of the small table. “This is the kind of thing I meant when I said I wanted to learn from you. My brothers and the rest of the officers in Fitzgerald Bay are much more relaxed than you are and I want to be prepared for anything.”

Nick noticed her barely perceptible shiver. “Good. That means you’re still open to new ideas. A lot of cops are so set in their ways they refuse to learn.”

Leaning her elbows on the table to come even closer, she lowered her voice. “Actually, I want you to think out loud when we’re going over evidence together. Ask me anything you want, no matter who it involves. Please?”

“If you’re sure that’s what you really want.”

“I’m sure. It’s possible that you and I can put our heads together and come up with another suspect, or at least eliminate Charles.”

“And if we can’t?”

“We will. I know we will. There must be something we’re missing. Something that points to the real killer. You brought the murder weapon and the other evidence back with you since the lab was done with them, didn’t you?”

“The bloody rock? Yes. And the victim’s shoe. There were no usable prints on any of that stuff.”

“What about the dolphin charm found near her body?”

“That may have been lost on the beach months ago, maybe last summer. There’s no way to tell. And no, it didn’t have any fingerprints on it, either.”

Keira straightened to make room for the bowls of steaming chowder Vanessa was placing on the table in front of them and thanked the older woman.

Nick was glad they’d been interrupted. Of the two blood types found on the rock, only one had belonged to the victim. If Keira had read the lab reports she knew that, too.

Until he’d had a chance to interview more townspeople, he figured it would be best to limit their discussion of those particular clues. They led straight to her brother Charles.

Because her partner had grown so quiet and subdued while they ate, Keira decided to try to draw him out with questions. “I’ve been thinking,” she began.

He slowly lowered his soup spoon. “Uh-oh.”

“Very funny. I just wonder if maybe those guys in the trucks were only passing through. Either or both of them could have been criminals, of course, but maybe they had nothing to do with ransacking your room.”

“Do you believe in the Tooth Fairy, too?”

“Okay, okay. You don’t agree. Am I right?”

“For a change, yes.”

His lopsided half smile pleased her beyond anything she’d expected and encouraged further banter. “For a change, huh? You sound more and more like my brothers every minute and you’ve only been here a few days. I hate to think what you’ll be like after a month.”

“Maybe it won’t take that long to solve the murder,” Nick said. “I’m going to want a DNA sample from Charles.”

Now that was a surprise. She scowled. “Why? He already provided one.”

Watching her partner’s face, Keira made a deduction that was very upsetting. “Wait a sec. You think he—we—may have falsified evidence?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to. Nobody would mistake the implication. You want to take a sample yourself because you don’t trust us.”

When Nick swiveled to look at her, she could tell he was hesitant to say more. Well, he didn’t have to. She knew precisely what he’d meant.

“Look, Keira, wouldn’t you rather the second sample was taken and proved to be a match to the first? It would help the state police and your brother at the same time.”

“The truth is in the first sample Charles gave.”

“Okay. But Olivia worked for his family. There’s still a good chance that some of the material found under her fingernails belonged to a Fitzgerald. The question is how it got there and whether that’s all that was found.”

“You have results that I don’t know about?” Keira asked.

“We do have more than one blood sample from the rock that we believe was the murder weapon. Unfortunately, the blood type is a common one and it does match your brother’s.”

“I read that in the preliminary toxicology report. So?”

“So, the best way to clear his name is send a new sample for typing and a DNA test. If the prime suspect wasn’t related to you, you’d jump at this chance. Admit it.”

“Okay. Maybe you’re right. But you’re not going to pin this murder on an innocent man. We won’t allow it.”

“Do you actually believe I came here to frame him?”

Keira sighed. “No. But I’ve heard of cases where men spent years in prison before the truth came out and they were freed. Charles has small children to raise. He needs to be there for them, not locked up over some trumped-up evidence that an overzealous prosecutor decided to use.”

“You’re really afraid for him, aren’t you?”

She knew Nick was reading her just the way he’d claimed he could. Well, maybe she was a little transparent but Charles was her big brother. She loved him. And she loved his twins, Aaron and Brianne, too. They were only two years old, their mother had deserted them, and now the nanny they’d grown attached to in her place had been murdered. What would happen to the poor little things if their daddy was hauled off to jail?

Before she could decide how to rebut Nick’s suggestion that she was fearful, he reached across the table and patted the back of her hand. His touch was gentle and the look in his hazel eyes warmed her to the marrow in her bones.

“I promise you one thing,” Nick said quietly. “I will never assume anyone is guilty unless I have solid proof. And I’ll give your brother the full benefit of the doubt. That’s another reason it’s important to take a second swab for DNA. It’s the surest way to rule him out.”

“What if it doesn’t? I mean, Olivia worked for him. Suppose she got his or the kids’ DNA under her nails some other way? It didn’t have to have happened right when she was killed.”

“No, but she did have that day off.”

“You don’t know much about toddlers, do you? They don’t understand things like days off. Maybe Olivia did something for one or both of the twins that day, even if she wasn’t supposed to be working.”

“I guess that is possible.”

Keira was glad to see his expression show that he was seriously considering what she’d said. “Lots of things are possible when you open your mind and stop focusing on one suspect.”

“Only after that person is proved innocent beyond the shadow of a doubt,” Nick countered.

If Keira could have thought of a snappy comeback she’d have used it. Unfortunately, she knew he was right. Only God could be trusted to be totally fair, totally impartial.

That conclusion left her wondering why the Lord hadn’t cleared her brother’s name already.

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