Read Online Death Runs Adrift (The Gray Whale Inn Mysteries) by Karen MacInerney - Free Book Online Page B

berry-studded crumb covered in rich, buttery foamy sauce was absolutely addictive. “What are you worried about?”
    “Adam.”
    I felt a frisson of worry. “Uh oh. Is Detective Johnson taking that threat he made seriously?”
    “I get the impression he’s the main person of interest.” John tossed a dishwasher tab into the soap holder and closed the dishwasher, then grabbed a Thunder Hole Ale from the refrigerator and joined me at the table.
    “Did he say anything about his interview with Derek’s aunt and uncle?”
    “Jeff and Elizabeth Abingdon?” He shook his head. “Johnson doesn’t seem to think they’re involved.”
    “But surely they know something!”
    “He doesn’t think so.” John took a swig of his beer. “Apparently there was a falling out. Derek thought he was entitled to Jeff Abingdon’s lobster license, and threatened to take him to court over it.”
    “Wouldn’t that be a motive for murder?”
    “You’d think so, but he dropped the suit six months ago. They haven’t spoken since, and apparently Johnson doesn’t think a lobster license is worth murdering someone for.”
    “Clearly he hasn’t spent too much time on the coast of Maine,” I snorted. “Didn’t Derek live with the Abingdons for a few years?”
    “He stayed with them for about a year,” John said, “but that was a few years back, and they haven’t been close.”
    “Did they find anything at his house?”
    “Not that I’ve heard,” he said.
    “He said it was down by the pier, but it doesn’t sound familiar.”
    “It’s kind of hidden back in a clump of trees. There’s no driveway; you have to walk through the brambles to get to it.”
    I pictured the raspberry patch not far from the pier; it was next to a meadow that in spring was covered with lupines, and in summer frequently hosted Claudette’s goats, Muffin and Pudge, who traveled the island chained to an old tire so that, in theory, they wouldn’t stray into people’s gardens. There had always been what I took to be a shack hidden back in the woods. “You mean the small building with the peeling paint that’s next to the meadow?”
    John nodded and took another swallow of his beer. “That’s the one,” he confirmed.
    “I’d like to take a look at the place myself,” I mused.
    My fiancé cocked a sandy eyebrow. “The police have already been through it,” he said.
    “I know, I know. I just feel like I have nothing to go on.”
    He grinned. “I didn’t know the department hired you to take the case.”
    I rolled my eyes. “I’m worried about Adam, that’s all.”
    “I’m just giving you a hard time.” He reached over and squeezed my hand. “I realize you’re probably going to ignore me, but I’d rather you hang back and let the detectives handle it.” He gave me a crooked grin. “We’re supposed to be getting married in a few months, after all. Hate to lose the deposit.”
    I kicked him under the table, and he laughed.
    “Honeymoon’s over already?” I asked.
    “It hasn’t begun yet,” he said in a growly tone that made my insides do a little flip. Maybe Florida wasn’t such a bad idea after all.
    “On a more serious note,” he continued, still holding my hand, “I have to say, Detective Johnson seems a bit surprised that things here aren’t as quiet as he’d expected.”
    “Really? What else is going on?”
    “The department is trying to crack a drug ring they think is working the coast,” he said, “from here to Canada. They’re working in tandem with the Coast Guard, but so far they’re coming up empty.”
    “What kind of drugs?”
    “Marijuana, mostly. Some heroin.”
    I took another sip of my tea. “Isn’t there a bill in the legislature right now to legalize marijuana?”
    “They’re talking about it,” John said, “but it’s still illegal, unless you’re growing it for medical purposes. There’s still a booming business for recreational pot.”
    “I’m not a fan of the stuff myself, but I