Read Online Nowhere To Run by Carolyn Davidson - Free Book Online

and Alex strained to catch what she said. “I can think of at least five girls who will be circling. Including his own cousin,” her statement elicited squeals of disgust from her sister.
    Alex’s eavesdropping was interrupted by the arrival of both the father to his table and the appearance of his own meal, a thick steak buried under sautéed onions and buttery mushrooms.
    “At least this gets your attention,” his waitress teased, setting the heaped plate in front of him. “Looked like we had lost you to your daydreams. You must be still on holiday.” Shelley smiled down at him.
    “Mm, that would be nice.” Alex smiled back at her, a slightly guilt-infused smile. They had dated casually for almost a year, an informal arrangement that had been enjoyable but never seemed to get further than what it was. Probably due to the job, he thought ruefully. Or something like that.
    “I wouldn’t have said no to a couple of weeks on the beach,” Shelley rested her hip against Alex’s table. “Get a tan going before we hole up for winter.”
    And who’s to say there’s anything wrong with casual, Alex thought, letting his eyes linger briefly on Shelley’s well exposed cleavage, before returning his attention to the conversation around him, and more importantly for the moment, the plate in front of him.
    One bite into his steak, which was grilled to a melt in your mouth perfection, and his phone, set to vibrate, danced on the table. Alex sighed and patted his mouth with the napkin, stepping outside the buzz of the restaurant to take the call.
    “O’Reilly,” he answered. Better be good, he thought to himself, surveying the Bay view from the pub’s side entrance. There was no wind today, and the water meeting the rocky shoreline was as smooth and untroubled as glass.
    “Don Broadbent here,” a familiar voice sounded. “Something came to mind after you left yesterday, and I thought I better run it by you.”
    “No problem, I’ll be right there,” Alex answered quickly. Anything that came up at this point in the investigation was the first priority.
    Re-entering the restaurant he gestured to the waitress, watching wistfully as she packed up his meal to go. It wouldn’t reach quite the same level of enjoyment reheated in the station microwave.
    Hopping into his jeep Alex opened the windows as he drove, letting the interior fill with the fresh autumn air. Let’s hope it’s not a ploy to find a further audience for his paintings, he brooded, heading north to the Broadbent place. The road was close to empty this time of day, and he reached his destination within minutes.
    Don met him at the door, a pipe in his bearded mouth.
    “It might be nothing of relevance, I hope I didn’t drag you away from anything important,” he said over his shoulder, leading Alex into the living room.
    “Not at all,” the officer replied, taking a seat on the couch across from the man. “Anything could be relevant at this point.” He waited expectantly, pen and pad poised.
    “I didn’t think to mention it because I didn’t see him the day in question, but I thought I should let you know that I’ve noticed a man sitting on the beach round about the same time the Harmon girl jogs by on occasion the past few weeks. I’ve seen the guy around, sort of a local musician type that frequents the beaches.” He paused to assess the Sergeant’s reaction to the information.
    Alex rose and walked to the window that overlooked the waterfront. “He was on your property down there?” He gestured to the wooden stairway leading from his host’s patio doors down to the shelves of rock that stretched out to meet the Bay.
    “No,” Mr. Broadbent joined him at the window. “He was over yonder, perched on a rock in front of the Lyon’s place like he was saluting the sun, some sort of hippy type. The Lyon’s are summer folk.” He turned back to the room and his seat by the electric fireplace. “They use the place mainly as a summer