“Sure, you don’t. You know, even a blind man could see the chemistry between you two. It clogs the air when you’re around each other.”
“It does not.”
Hunter let out a bark of laughter. “Still in the denial phase.”
Yes, I was. And that was where I planned to stay. It was safe in denial land. Even if I did have brush and branch scratches all over my body. “There’s nothing going on between us.” Just chemistry that would probably burn me alive.
Hunter sobered. “You’ve done a real good job of keeping people out. I don’t know why, but I’m guessing it’s because you got hurt somewhere along the line. But the thing is, a life alone is a hell of a lot more painful than the hurt you’d get by letting people in.”
I stayed quiet. Hunter didn’t know that letting people in could literally get me killed. Get them killed.
“Don’t get me wrong. There’s pain in every relationship. But you’re going to get a lot more good mixed in. If you stay out there on your own little island all alone, you’re in for nothing but that hurt. Maybe it’s worth taking a risk.”
I took a deep breath and swallowed the urge to tell Hunter to mind his own business. “Are you a contractor or a therapist?”
He grinned. “You’d be surprised how often those two intersect. Building someone a home, restoring what’s been damaged, it can bring up a lot of feelings.”
“It’s made you pretty damn observant, too,” I muttered.
He held up both hands in mock surrender. “I just call ‘em like I see ‘em. You don’t have to listen to a word I say.”
I made a humming noise in the back of my throat. The problem was, I couldn’t unhear Hunter’s words. Forget his astute observations. I had been standing alone on my island for as long as I could remember. And for the first time, Brody had coaxed me off. But the second I got scared, I went running back. I didn’t know any other way.
I sighed and patted Hunter’s arm. “Thanks for the pep talk.”
“Anytime. And you know you’re always welcome to come to our Saturday night get-togethers at The Catch. Caelyn and Griffin always go. My brother and his fiancée. A couple of other friends. It might be good for you to get out and about. Be with people and listen to some live music.”
His offer tugged at my heart. The sheer kindness of it. “I’ll think about it. Thank you.”
Hunter gave me a chin jerk. “Open invitation.”
“I’m heading into town for mail and supplies. Do you need anything?”
“Nope. All good here.”
I moved before I could think twice, reaching up on my tiptoes to give Hunter a quick peck on the cheek. “You’ve got a kind heart. Make sure you keep it that way.”
Hunter flushed. “Don’t tell Brody you kissed me. I don’t want to get fired.”
I choked on a laugh and headed for the dock. The entire trek to Anchor, Hunter’s words played on an endless loop in my head. I saw the merit in them. And I sure as hell didn’t want to live the rest of my life never letting another soul truly see me. Was that what I had signed up for? I’d been so sure that Michael wouldn’t last a month out of detention before doing something to get sent back. But it was almost April and…nothing. I checked arrest reports weekly for his name and hadn’t seen or heard a peep.
Guilt gnawed at my stomach. What if he had been rehabilitated, and I was just determined to cast him as the villain forever? Then I remembered the note and I shivered. I wished I was wrong about Michael, but I didn’t think I was.
I made my way down the dock and caught sight of a small crowd by the waterfront park. A trickle of unease slid down my spine. An ambulance and a sheriff’s department SUV were also there. God, I hoped everyone was okay. I walked slower. I was about to force myself towards Main Street when I caught sight of Caelyn. She was white as a sheet.
I instantly changed direction and headed for my friend. As soon as I was at her side, Caelyn threw her arms around me. Her voice trembled slightly as she spoke. “Oh, God. Shay.”
My body was strung tight as I rubbed a hand up and down Caelyn’s back. “What is it? What happened?”
“Someone’s dead. They aren’t saying who. Brian found him on the bench.”
I followed Caelyn’s line of sight to a large man who looked more than a little pale and was talking to Sheriff Raines. I’d seen him before. A fisherman I often crossed paths with on the docks. We’d share a wave or a head nod, but I hadn’t known his name. This man, who would likely now be scarred for life by his discovery. “Do they know what happened? Heart attack or a stroke?”
Caelyn’s arm tightened around me. “People are saying they think he was murdered.”
“What?” My gaze snapped back to Caelyn. “Who’s saying that?”
“Just whispers. They put up those curtains before I got here.”
Walls of fabric that looked like the old-fashioned dividers you might see in a doctor’s office had been set up, but that didn’t stop people from trying to see around them, standing on tiptoes or bending to the side. Crime scene tape blocked them from any sort of success.
“What is happening on our island?” Caelyn whispered.
“I wish I knew.” There had been more than a small community’s share of violence and death lately. And now this? My safe place was feeling a little less secure.
An SUV pulled up next to the ambulance, and a man who looked to be in his mid-thirties climbed out. “That’s the new doctor,” Caelyn said in a hushed tone.
He shook hands with the sheriff, and after a few words, Sheriff Raines pulled back the wall to let him through. The curtains weren’t pulled back for long. Maybe a count of fifteen. But those seconds stretched into an eternity.
The image in front of me would be seared into my brain forever. A young man so pale he had to have been drained of blood. What looked like black paint covered his arms, but I could see the stab wounds, even through the paint. Small items had been strewn across the bench, and ugly words had been spray painted around him. And his chest…oh, God, his chest had been carved open.
I couldn’t look away. Even though I wanted nothing more than to purge the image from my mind. Forget I’d ever even come into town today. But the tableau held me captive. Even as Sheriff Raines closed the wall of curtains, I stared at the blank white swath of material. I couldn’t move a millimeter.
Something tickled the back of my brain—phantom pieces of realizations floating around in my mind until they came together with a violent snap. I couldn’t help my sharp intake of air. Because the scene I’d just glimpsed was familiar. I’d seen it once before. On Brody’s computer screen. His website. That gruesome murder scene had already been painted—by Brody’s hand.
22
Brody
I balanced my sketchpad on my knee as I leaned back on the dock bench. It wasn’t a hardship to wait out Shay’s return here. Winter’s bitter cold was lessening just a bit, and I was glad to be able to enjoy my island a bit more without freezing my balls off.
I scanned the beach and Harbor’s small point that jutted into the water. Another painting was taking shape in my mind. But this one would require some planning. And a canvas the right size to accommodate the epic piece I envisioned. I could see it coming to life. A woman out on that point. Gown billowing in the breeze. Strong and fearless as she prepared for what was to come. Her hair swirled around her, long strands taking flight as if they would fight to defend, too.