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  DEADLY COUNTDOWN

  Strong Women, Extraordinary Situations

  Book 4

  by MARGARET DALEY

  Deadly Countdown

  Copyright © 2015 by Margaret Daley

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author, except by a reviewer, who may quote brief passages in a review.

  All texts contained within this document are a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons (living or dead), is entirely coincidental.

  Strong Women, Extraordinary Situations Series

  Deadly Hunt, Book 1

  Deadly Intent, Book 2

  Deadly Holiday, Book 3

  Strong Women, Extraordinary Situations Box Set, Books 1–3

  Deadly Countdown, Book 4

  Deadly Noel, Book 5 (Coming soon!)

  Dedication

  To Hope, Colleen and all my newsletter subscribers.

  Sign up for my newsletter.

  Chapter One

  Allie Martin stepped inside the post office in Port David, Louisiana to mail some packages for Aunt Evelina. Two other men stood at the counter behind Mattie Cottard, a good friend of Allie’s aunt. As Allie approached the short line, she studied the back of the second man. He wore jean shorts and a black T-shirt. No mistaking that dark brown hair, cut in a neat, short style. Remy Broussard.

  His grandfather, Tom, who lived near Allie and her aunt, had said he was coming home for a few weeks in July, but she hadn’t known he’d arrived. It must have been last night because he would have called her right away. He’d been her best friend—her confidant—growing up.

  Mattie left the counter, and the line moved up.

  Allie tapped Remy’s shoulder.

  He glanced back, and his silver-gray gaze connected with hers.

  Crinkles at the corners of his eyes deepened as he smiled and turned toward her. “I didn’t expect to see you until you got off work.”

  Allie threw her arms around him and gave him a big hug. She’d missed him since seeing him for Mardi Gras before his motorcycle accident. “Your grandfather didn’t tell me the exact time you were coming. He just said in a few days.”

  “You know Papere. He functions on a different timetable. I didn’t tell him until I left Dallas. I wasn’t sure if the doctor was going to okay the long drive.”

  “How are you doing since the accident?” Back in March, the news from Remy’s grandfather had shaken Allie. Remy was a motorcycle police officer, and in a chase pursuing a suspect in an armed robbery, he’d crashed.

  “Still on medical leave with the Dallas Police Department until the first of August. I’m so ready to get back to work.”

  Even as a child, Remy had hated inactivity, but then so had she. “The important thing is you’re alive. Are you going to switch to driving a patrol car?” Remy had driven a motorcycle when they were younger, something she’d never liked. He loved to live dangerously, whereas she was cautious—maybe too much at times.

  “I don’t have plans to.”

  A fisherman who worked on David’s Folly, a boat docked at the Sundowner Marina and Condos where she worked, left the counter. With a nod, Bo Fayard smiled but kept walking toward the exit.

  “We’ll have to get together soon,” Remy said as he rotated toward Port David’s postmaster and requested a roll of stamps. He paid then stepped to the side.

  “I’d say tonight, but the Sundowner Marina is having a fais do-do. You know Friday nights in the summer around here. Lots of good food, Cajun music, and dancing. I hope you’ll come tomorrow evening for dinner, and of course, your grandfather is welcome too.” Allie slid her aunt’s packages across the counter.

  “Sounds good. I brought Papere into town for some supplies. See you.”

  As Remy walked toward the door, he limped slightly. While Remy was on the critical list at the Dallas hospital, his grandfather had left Port David, a most unusual occurrence, to be with Remy. Allie would have gone too, if he or his grandfather had said anything to her about the accident. By the time she found out, Remy had left the hospital and was at a rehab center. Remy had insisted he was on the mend and would see her when he came home.

  After taking care of the postage, Allie headed outside to a brisk breeze from the Gulf. She looked up at the dark, menacing clouds blowing in. The word ominous flitted through her mind. Although July was hurricane season on the coast, she hadn’t heard of any in the Gulf of Mexico. Hadn’t the weatherman said it was going to be beautiful today? If it was going to rain, she wanted to be at work before it came. She made her way to her four-wheel drive parked in front of the Pelican General Store next door.

  She opened her Jeep door and settled behind the steering wheel. A boom shook her car. Stunned, Allie froze, her heart pounding and her ears ringing.

  * * *

  Remy sat across from his grandfather at the little café within the general store, sipping coffee. “I ran into Allie at the post office.”

  “Such a sweet girl. She’s always checking on me.” A twinkle lit Papere’s blue eyes.

  “Stop right there. I know that look. We’ve always been friends, but that’s all. She married the love of her life.” Remy left Port David when Allie married Landry Martin. All through their childhood Allie, Remy, and Landry had been a trio and had even made a pact that they would be best friends forever. Then Allie fell in love with Landry, and the dynamics of their pact changed.

  “Best friends from what I’ve seen. Did you pick right up where you left off the last time you saw each other? If so, maybe you could take it a step—”

  “You’re incorrigible.” Chuckling, Remy shook his head. “I don’t want to ruin the best friendship I’ve ever had.” That was why he’d taken the job in Dallas. He knew he would have a hard time seeing Landry and Allie together. He was able to deal with it on short visits to Port David, but on a day-to-day basis, it would affect their relationship eventually. He cared too much for both of them and what they had growing up.

  “I know why you left Port David. But Landry’s been dead for three years.”

  “Allie loves deeply and grieves deeply. I’ve moved on. I’m dating a nice woman in Dallas.”

  “Why didn’t she come here with you?”

  “Because she had to work, and we are only casually dating. Let it go.” Papere had met Britney while he was in Dallas. He knew all of this. But he wanted great-grandchildren, and he could be relentless when he wanted something. Truthfully, Remy didn’t know if he would ever marry.

  Papere opened his mouth to speak when a distant booming sound reverberated through the store. Remy shot to his feet, every ounce of his police training kicking into gear. As he charged toward the exit, he automatically went for his gun, which he didn’t have with him. That didn’t stop him. As he emerged from the store, he scanned the main street, his gaze catching sight of Allie’s blue Jeep, parked nearby, with her sitting inside. Confetti rained down on her.

  The shocked look on her face prompted him to rush to the driver’s side and open her door. “What happened?”

  “Besides nearly having a heart attack, my car and I are covered in glitter and confetti.” She blew and some bits of paper around her mouth dislodged and continued their journey to her lap, filled with silver and gold streamers that glistened with glitter. “Was this you?”

  Remy pressed his lips together, trying not to laugh at the sight she made as people came out to see what had taken place. “It’s a little late to celebrate the Fourth.”

  Twisting toward him, she wiggled her forefingers in her ears. “Speak up. My ears are still ringing. Not to mention my hea
rtbeat hasn’t slowed down.”

  “If I had done it, I would have set something like that outside your car.” He couldn’t contain his chuckle when he saw the glitter clinging to her cheeks.

  She gave him her narrow-eyed look he used to get when he did something she didn’t like. “I’m glad I’ve entertained you.” She pushed herself from the seat and stood next to her Jeep, most of the confetti floating to the street.

  “What happened?” Remy asked again, remembering his first initial response to the loud sound—one signaling something was wrong.

  Allie swiped some confetti from her face, her cheeks flaming. Glancing back at the inside of her Jeep, she waved her arm. “I’m not sure. I got in my car and a boom went off. Next thing I know, I’m being showered in confetti.”

  Remy reached out and finished wiping the glitter from her face. “Do you know who did this?”

  She shoved one hand on her waist. “Are you sure it wasn’t you?”

  He dropped his arm to his side and straightened. “I wouldn’t do…” Then he remembered some of the pranks he used to pull on her growing up. “Okay, I might have when I was younger, but not now. I’m sure. Promise.” Which was what he’d always told her when it was a serious issue between them. He might pull pranks and kid her, but he’d never lie to her about it.

  She surveyed the others watching in front of the general store then returned her full attention to Remy. “Then who did?”

  “You don’t have any idea who might?”

  The color drained from her face. “Things have been happening lately.” She scanned the street.

  Alarm bells began to clang. “What?” he asked as the crowd dissipated.

  “Gifts left on my doorstep. Once on my desk at the marina. I suppose this could be considered a gift by some people.” She brushed her cheeks with shaky hands.

  Remy took her elbow and led her toward the cafe in the general store. “Let’s get something to drink while you tell me all about what’s going on. Papere is inside at a table.”

  “I have to get to work.”

  He held open the door into the shop. “Not for twenty minutes.”

  “How do you know when I go to the office?”

  He gave her a disbelieving look. “This is a small town. Everyone knows everything.” At the counter he ordered a coffee with cream and sugar for her then ushered her to the table where his grandfather had been sitting.

  Remy looked around for Papere and saw him across the store. The older, silver-haired man winked at him and pretended to finish his shopping when it had already been completed.

  Allie took a seat across from Remy. “It started a month ago. Some guy wanting to get my attention, I guess.”

  “Why do you think it’s a guy?”

  “Because, at first, he sent sweet gifts like candy, a wood carving, actually quite beautiful, and even a romantic poem.”

  “But not now?”

  “Then last week, I got a framed collage—all pictures of me at various times, like he’d been following me.”

  Remy picked up his mug, clenching the handle. “You need to lock your car.” As a police officer in Dallas, he’d seen a lot of things that had made him suspicious of others. He hadn’t been when he lived in Port David, a small town of a couple of thousand situated between the Gulf and Bayou Country, but his view of life had changed over the six years he’d been in law enforcement.

  “I’ve never had a reason to lock my car. He’s never put anything in my Jeep before.”

  “Until today,” Remy said in a tight voice, tension filling him when he thought of the fact that the confetti cannon could have been a bomb. He’d seen a car bombing in Dallas, and it hadn’t been a pretty picture.

  “This town has always been home and safe. You think this guy doesn’t have good intentions?”

  “No. After the collage of you and this surprise gift in your car, do you?”

  “I guess not. At first I thought I had a secret admirer or maybe a prankster. I’ve pulled my share in my life.”

  “Yes, I know.”

  “I was only getting even for the ones you did to me, Remy Broussard.”

  “Let’s not discuss the past right now. Do you have any idea who would do this?”

  She shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest and rubbing her hands up and down her arms. “I work with many men. A lot are married, but there are still quite a few single ones. Most I’ve known for a long time.”

  Since he was nine, when his mother married her third husband and left Remy in the care of his grandfather, Allie had been his best friend. She was beautiful with her long, straight brown hair framing her face and emphasizing her dark blue eyes. He could see the bachelors in town pursuing her, but not secretly. It reminded him of a stalking case he dealt with in Dallas that hadn’t ended well.

  He frowned. “Before you leave, I want to take a look at your car. How was the contraption rigged to explode at the same time you returned to your car?”

  “Good question. It sounded like a small explosion, and it came after I shut the door.” Allie rose, grabbing one last sip of coffee before leaving the cup on the table. “Let’s go now. I don’t have much time.”

  Outside she charged toward her Jeep, a fierce expression on her face. Good. Maybe she would take this seriously. He didn’t have a good feeling about what was going on. The hairs on his nape tingled. He panned the street. Someone was watching him. He was sure of it, but from where, he didn’t have a clue.

  When Remy lifted the rear door, he studied the PVC pipe with an air pressure gauge on it. The small cannon, aimed toward the front, sat in the storage area. “This is homemade.” He picked it up, careful how he handled it, and examined it. His gut knotted. “It must have been detonated by remote.”

  Allie glanced around her. “He could be watching right now,” she whispered as if the culprit was hiding nearby.

  “Maybe.”

  “Great.” She snatched it from Remy’s hand, threw it down, and then stomped on it. The action caused her to start to fall when it rolled a little.

  Remy grabbed her from behind to steady her. Leaning down, he murmured, “I think you’ve made your point.” His breath warmed the side of her neck, but what threw him off the most was her signature scent from a young age—lavender.

  She turned her head toward him, her mouth inches from his. Her nearness messed with his mind. His pulse rate increased.

  She quickly pulled herself from his hold and stepped back. “I shouldn’t have done that. I probably made him angry.”

  “True. He’ll either back off or…” He didn’t think before he started that sentence. Allie’s life had been a sheltered one. She’d lived in Port David since she was seven and rarely left. She hadn’t seen the evil that existed in the world as he had. She probably still went to church every Sunday whereas he’d gotten out of the habit, often working on those days.

  She tilted her head. “Or he’ll get angry and do something worse?”

  Remy nodded.

  Fear flickered in her blue gaze. She scooped up the end of the PVC pipe and gently placed it in her Jeep’s rear cargo space. “Maybe he’s still looking.”

  “I need to take it. I’ll see if I can pull any latent prints off it.”

  “We should be so lucky. But then if there is a set of prints that aren’t mine or yours, he’s probably not in the system. I hope—”

  Before she began to chatter because she was nervous, Remy interrupted, “You never know. If nothing else, it will be proof when I find him.”

  “I should have called the police when I first got suspicious.”

  “Yes, you should have.” Remy scanned the main street with its quaint shops that sold antiques and various items from the Cajun and Creole cultures of the area. “You need to get to work. Papere and I will be coming to the fais do-do tonight. Do you want to join us?”

  “I have to stay at my office until the party starts. I have extra work with preparing the second quarter report for the comp
any’s rentals and leases due by the fifteenth. Aunt Evelina is meeting me there.”

  “Do you still have my cell phone number?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “Use it if you need help.” Remy picked up the homemade confetti cannon.

  Allie balled her hands.

  “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I’m the only one who gets to pull pranks on you.” He winked. “I’ll see you later.”

  As he strolled into the general store to find Papere, Remy swung around.

  Allie backed out of her parking space and drove toward the Gulf and the Sundowner’s headquarters. Again, he couldn’t shake the feeling something was wrong with Allie’s situation. He hoped he was wrong, but…

  * * *

  Allie marched down the pier. The wind coming off the water gave a reprieve to the heat building up as the morning turned into the afternoon. The scent of fish and saltwater spiced the air.

  She studied the fast moving clouds. If it did rain later, it would be a fierce storm. She hoped it didn’t since the fais do-do would be outside. In the main tourist season, the marina put on a large party with Cajun food and music. Guests at the condos nearby, as well as townspeople, joined in the fun on Friday night.

  She headed toward the Miss Betty, one of the fishing boats that had a slip at the marina. Once again, the captain had failed to turn in his rent on time. The sounds of the various species of gulls and the starting engine of a yacht resonated through the air as Allie hurried toward the trawler, hoping to find Captain LeBlanc on board. Otherwise, she would have to track him down. She waved to some of the fishermen as she passed them on the pier. When she reached the Miss Betty, she stepped onto the deck.

  “What do you need?” a deep baritone voice sliced through the noise of the marina.