Read Online Silent Protector by Barbara Phinney - Free Book Online
Authors: Barbara Phinney
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midnight. The police and fire department left about a half hour ago.”
Her words hollow sounding, she said, “I slept through it all?”
“Honey, you were exhausted,” Elsie said, pouring coffee. “You’d have slept even if a brass band paraded through that bedroom. Ha! With that dog and those boys, I think the noise was the same.”
Absently, Liz accepted a cup of coffee and walked around the counter to the table. She sank into a chair, her eyes hollow. “I must have been really tired. That’s awful. I came so close to leaving last night. I had planned to leave if I’d had my rental. Think of how dangerous that would have been.”
“But you didn’t,” Ian answered, sitting down beside her.
“You’re certain that the fire was started by some loan shark looking to collect?” she asked him.
Ian took a sip of coffee. “I don’t know. It was just a suggestion. There was a smell of gasoline to the fire, and the police suspect it was deliberately set. But we can’t rule anything out.”
She set down her coffee mug. “This isn’t a safe place for Charlie anymore. Even you have to admit that.”
Ian folded his arms. He didn’t have to admit anything. “Look, Liz, this may not have anything to do with Charlie.”
“But you won’t rule it out, either. Ian, I need to take Charlie and leave. That’s the only way.”
“Not without a marshal, and even if we called right now, another one wouldn’t be available immediately.”
“What about you?”
“Look, Liz, you’re both safer here. All the roads are jammed with people leaving, and all the hotels are booked solid. George and Elsie and I can handle the security better here.”
“Security? You’re going to use Charlie as bait!” She tightened her jaw.
“Apprehending Jerry’s killer is crucial to saving thousands of lives. We can lure him out without endangeringCharlie. But if we move off the island into the general population, with no immediate destination, we risk not only our own lives but innocent strangers’ lives, too.”
“Why isn’t there another marshal on his way, if this is so dangerous?”
“Things take time to happen. The nearest marshal office is in Miami.”
He felt Liz study him. Her eyes had narrowed slightly, and it didn’t take a psychiatrist to figure out she didn’t like him. And why should she? He’d taken Charlie and refused to give him up, telling her what she should do even.
The coffee he’d just swallowed sat like molten lead in his stomach. She doesn’t understand, he told himself.
“We need to get off this island, Ian. Someone ran me off the road, and someone set fire to a nearby house. We don’t know if they have anything to do with Charlie being here or not. I do know that these incidents could be proof that Charlie is in danger. This village is no longer safe for him.”
“You’re not leaving until I say so.”
She straightened, and her voice rose. “You can’t stop us.”
He spoke back just as sharply. “I can and I will.”
Liz set down her coffee cup and opened her mouth again. But before she could speak, Elsie plunked her hands down between them and drilled a dark glare at the arguing pair. “Look, you two, you both want Charlie safe, but you aren’t going to sort this out here, and I won’t have you waking up those two boys with your arguing. You need to discuss this, yes, but take it down to Ian’s office. You’ll be able to make the arrangements from there and shout at each other all you want, too.” She finished off her censure with an added glare at each of them.
Ian sat back. Elsie was right. He was exhausted, and irritation grated on him more than he realized. He drew in a breath to restore his self-control and nodded. “Yes, we should talk in my office. Let me grab a shower and a couple hours’ sleep. It’s too early to call anyone anyway.”
Liz blinked and frowned and then agreed with a nod of her own. With a stiff rise and stretch, Ian walked to the door. “Liz, I
Her words hollow sounding, she said, “I slept through it all?”
“Honey, you were exhausted,” Elsie said, pouring coffee. “You’d have slept even if a brass band paraded through that bedroom. Ha! With that dog and those boys, I think the noise was the same.”
Absently, Liz accepted a cup of coffee and walked around the counter to the table. She sank into a chair, her eyes hollow. “I must have been really tired. That’s awful. I came so close to leaving last night. I had planned to leave if I’d had my rental. Think of how dangerous that would have been.”
“But you didn’t,” Ian answered, sitting down beside her.
“You’re certain that the fire was started by some loan shark looking to collect?” she asked him.
Ian took a sip of coffee. “I don’t know. It was just a suggestion. There was a smell of gasoline to the fire, and the police suspect it was deliberately set. But we can’t rule anything out.”
She set down her coffee mug. “This isn’t a safe place for Charlie anymore. Even you have to admit that.”
Ian folded his arms. He didn’t have to admit anything. “Look, Liz, this may not have anything to do with Charlie.”
“But you won’t rule it out, either. Ian, I need to take Charlie and leave. That’s the only way.”
“Not without a marshal, and even if we called right now, another one wouldn’t be available immediately.”
“What about you?”
“Look, Liz, you’re both safer here. All the roads are jammed with people leaving, and all the hotels are booked solid. George and Elsie and I can handle the security better here.”
“Security? You’re going to use Charlie as bait!” She tightened her jaw.
“Apprehending Jerry’s killer is crucial to saving thousands of lives. We can lure him out without endangeringCharlie. But if we move off the island into the general population, with no immediate destination, we risk not only our own lives but innocent strangers’ lives, too.”
“Why isn’t there another marshal on his way, if this is so dangerous?”
“Things take time to happen. The nearest marshal office is in Miami.”
He felt Liz study him. Her eyes had narrowed slightly, and it didn’t take a psychiatrist to figure out she didn’t like him. And why should she? He’d taken Charlie and refused to give him up, telling her what she should do even.
The coffee he’d just swallowed sat like molten lead in his stomach. She doesn’t understand, he told himself.
“We need to get off this island, Ian. Someone ran me off the road, and someone set fire to a nearby house. We don’t know if they have anything to do with Charlie being here or not. I do know that these incidents could be proof that Charlie is in danger. This village is no longer safe for him.”
“You’re not leaving until I say so.”
She straightened, and her voice rose. “You can’t stop us.”
He spoke back just as sharply. “I can and I will.”
Liz set down her coffee cup and opened her mouth again. But before she could speak, Elsie plunked her hands down between them and drilled a dark glare at the arguing pair. “Look, you two, you both want Charlie safe, but you aren’t going to sort this out here, and I won’t have you waking up those two boys with your arguing. You need to discuss this, yes, but take it down to Ian’s office. You’ll be able to make the arrangements from there and shout at each other all you want, too.” She finished off her censure with an added glare at each of them.
Ian sat back. Elsie was right. He was exhausted, and irritation grated on him more than he realized. He drew in a breath to restore his self-control and nodded. “Yes, we should talk in my office. Let me grab a shower and a couple hours’ sleep. It’s too early to call anyone anyway.”
Liz blinked and frowned and then agreed with a nod of her own. With a stiff rise and stretch, Ian walked to the door. “Liz, I
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