Read Online Colleen Coble by Rosemary Cottage - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rosemary Cottage
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panting on the rough boards for a moment, then sat up and looked around. The structure was eight feet square, big enough for the two of them to lie down and stare into the leafy roof over them. But the best thing about this place was no one looked up here, especially adults. It had been a secret haven she and Ben shared.
She got to her feet and found the rope ladder hidden in a tree hole. It had hooks on the top. This was always the tricky part, and Ben was much better at it than she was. She swung the hooks and aimed them at the large branch six feet above her head. The hooks scraped across the limb and fell. She tried again, and this time the hooks caught and held.
After testing the strength of the ladder, she climbed the rungs until she could peer into a hole in the tree that couldn’t be seen from the platform. Whenever she stuck her hand inside, she cringed because she never knew what might be there. Once she’d stuck her hand in a spiderweb and had nearly fallen to the ground in her panic to get the sticky stuff off her fingers.
This time there were no spiders or anything else scary. Instead, there was a book. She pulled it out. It was a leather notebook about six by nine, maybe an address book. The cover was embossed with Ben’s name, and she ran her fingers over it before stuffing it in her waistband and climbing back to the safety of the platform. She opened the book and blinked. It was all in gibberish. Was it some kind of code? She flipped through all the pages, but there was nothing on the few pages she could read.
Something in this book may have led to her brother’s death, but what?
Heather’s footfalls sounded impossibly loud when she stepped into Rosemary Cottage. “Hello?” she called, just to make sure she was alone.
Amy’s car was in the driveway, but that didn’t mean anything. The sea was just through the maritime forest, close enough to walk to the beach, and Amy seemed to spend a lot of time there. The house smelled of some kind of seafood, so Amy had been here.
Heather’s cell phone rang, and she dug it out of her purse. When she saw the name on the caller ID, her heart leaped. “Hello, Grant.”
“Heather, finally! Are you there?”
“Of course. I’ve been here for six days. I expected you to call sooner.” She couldn’t keep the whine out of her voice.
“I’ve been busy.” He sounded impatient. “Did you get your room at Tidewater Inn?”
He might have told her he missed her before he launched into the inquisition. “No, they were full. I’m staying with a nice lady in a cottage a bit off the water. It’s called Rosemary Cottage.”
There was a pause. “You need to get to the inn. You’ll have a better chance to get to know your target. The owners are friends of his.”
“Well, you should have made my reservations so I could have gotten a room. I’m on a waiting list, but it’s going to be at least three weeks before I can get moved over there. There’s a monthlong festival going on.”
“I see.” Grant’s voice was tight. “Maybe it’s just as well. You need to be part of village life so you’re not a suspect, and that length of time will help establish you as more than a tourist.”
“I’ve got a job serving at a local café. That should help make me a familiar face.”
“Good. Have you met the family yet?”
“I met the old lady in the café. She was alone though.”
“It’s a start. Well, keep me posted. We need this done as soon as possible.”
She gripped the phone and tried to think of a reason to keep him on the line. “You have everything ready for the pickup, right? I don’t want to be left high and dry.”
“You call the number I gave you, and I’ll pick you up in a boat out at the old lighthouse. Take a walk out there so you know how to find it. It’s remote, but that ensures no one will see you board the boat. Relax, I’ve got it all covered. And don’t be so skittish. It will show in your actions. I appreciate you doing
She got to her feet and found the rope ladder hidden in a tree hole. It had hooks on the top. This was always the tricky part, and Ben was much better at it than she was. She swung the hooks and aimed them at the large branch six feet above her head. The hooks scraped across the limb and fell. She tried again, and this time the hooks caught and held.
After testing the strength of the ladder, she climbed the rungs until she could peer into a hole in the tree that couldn’t be seen from the platform. Whenever she stuck her hand inside, she cringed because she never knew what might be there. Once she’d stuck her hand in a spiderweb and had nearly fallen to the ground in her panic to get the sticky stuff off her fingers.
This time there were no spiders or anything else scary. Instead, there was a book. She pulled it out. It was a leather notebook about six by nine, maybe an address book. The cover was embossed with Ben’s name, and she ran her fingers over it before stuffing it in her waistband and climbing back to the safety of the platform. She opened the book and blinked. It was all in gibberish. Was it some kind of code? She flipped through all the pages, but there was nothing on the few pages she could read.
Something in this book may have led to her brother’s death, but what?
Heather’s footfalls sounded impossibly loud when she stepped into Rosemary Cottage. “Hello?” she called, just to make sure she was alone.
Amy’s car was in the driveway, but that didn’t mean anything. The sea was just through the maritime forest, close enough to walk to the beach, and Amy seemed to spend a lot of time there. The house smelled of some kind of seafood, so Amy had been here.
Heather’s cell phone rang, and she dug it out of her purse. When she saw the name on the caller ID, her heart leaped. “Hello, Grant.”
“Heather, finally! Are you there?”
“Of course. I’ve been here for six days. I expected you to call sooner.” She couldn’t keep the whine out of her voice.
“I’ve been busy.” He sounded impatient. “Did you get your room at Tidewater Inn?”
He might have told her he missed her before he launched into the inquisition. “No, they were full. I’m staying with a nice lady in a cottage a bit off the water. It’s called Rosemary Cottage.”
There was a pause. “You need to get to the inn. You’ll have a better chance to get to know your target. The owners are friends of his.”
“Well, you should have made my reservations so I could have gotten a room. I’m on a waiting list, but it’s going to be at least three weeks before I can get moved over there. There’s a monthlong festival going on.”
“I see.” Grant’s voice was tight. “Maybe it’s just as well. You need to be part of village life so you’re not a suspect, and that length of time will help establish you as more than a tourist.”
“I’ve got a job serving at a local café. That should help make me a familiar face.”
“Good. Have you met the family yet?”
“I met the old lady in the café. She was alone though.”
“It’s a start. Well, keep me posted. We need this done as soon as possible.”
She gripped the phone and tried to think of a reason to keep him on the line. “You have everything ready for the pickup, right? I don’t want to be left high and dry.”
“You call the number I gave you, and I’ll pick you up in a boat out at the old lighthouse. Take a walk out there so you know how to find it. It’s remote, but that ensures no one will see you board the boat. Relax, I’ve got it all covered. And don’t be so skittish. It will show in your actions. I appreciate you doing
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