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  She followed him, and when he left the house, he heard the click as the lock was turned.

  Using a small pocket flashlight, he decided to circle the carriage house on his way home. Something didn’t feel right, but nothing he saw alerted him to what it could be.

  While he strolled toward his back door, his cell phone rang. Calls late at night were never a good thing. “Sheriff McNeil here.”

  “The Sea Princess was stolen, but it’s been found. Someone torched it.”

  Chapter Three

  Shaun rushed into the office off the kitchen. “I’m going to Ryan’s to play with Mick. He just came home.”

  Lacey looked up from going through the books for the bed and breakfast. “You haven’t even told me how your first day at school went.”

  “Great. I met some kids who live near here. The bus let Mark off right in front of his house, only three away from here.” He whirled around and raced out of the room before Lacey could tell him to slow down.

  Not a second later, she heard a crash. Oh, no. Not again. She shoved herself to her feet and made her way into the kitchen. A tray with a plastic pitcher and glasses littered the floor between Mrs. Bell and her. Shaun stood frozen a few feet away.

  “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” He crouched and began picking up the items.

  Mrs. Bell’s expression smoldered as she watched Shaun clean up the mess he caused. Surprisingly she remained quiet, but the narrow-eyed look on her face spoke volumes of what was going through the woman’s mind, forcing Lacey to acknowledge it was time to have that conversation with Mrs. Bell. The past couple of days, there had been several encounters between the manager and her son, and each time Mrs. Bell’s anger festered even deeper.

  Lacey tried to ignore Mrs. Bell’s glare, but it bored into her. “Shaun, no running in the house. Next time you won’t get to go see Mick. This is your last warning.”

  “It’s about time,” Mrs. Bell mumbled and marched to the sink to wash the pitcher and glasses.

  “I can dry them.” Shaun grabbed the towel.

  “No. I’ll take care of it. I told the workers I would bring them iced tea, and that is what I’m going to do.”

  “You can leave, Shaun.” Lacey covered the distance between her and Mrs. Bell and picked up the towel her son laid on the counter by the sink. “Mrs. Bell, I’ll take the drinks to the guys. My eyes are about to cross looking over the accounting ledger. I could use the break.”

  The woman continued to wash out the glasses and place them on the side of the sink away from Lacey.

  She took calming breaths and moved in front of the wet dishes. “I’m sorry—”

  “This is the third time since he came that we’ve had mishaps. When guests are here, that kind of behavior can’t be tolerated. Most come to get away from the big city and have a peaceful vacation.”

  “I realize that, and I’ll take care of Shaun. This is all new and exciting to him. He’ll settle down.” Since coming to the Calvert Cove B and B, her son had been different, as though he was embracing being a boy and having fun. He’d been so serious and solemn in the apartment.

  As they finished cleaning the dishes, Lacey poured iced tea into the pitcher then slowly carried the tray upstairs to the second floor. The contractor stood in the hall at the end with a worker she hadn’t met yet. She walked halfway down the corridor and put the drinks on a table. Then she continued toward Tom Avant.

  “I’m going to leave the glasses and iced tea on the table. The workers can help themselves when they want something to drink.” Lacey shifted her gaze to the unfamiliar man next to her. “I’m Lacey St. John, the owner. You must be the new painter.”

  “Yes, I’m Trey Dawson. I just arrived. Tom’s giving me instructions on where to start.”

  “Thanks for being able to fill in the next few weeks.”

  As the tall man dressed in white coveralls left and took the stairs to the third story, Lacey asked, “How much longer until that floor is finished?”

  “Maybe by late tomorrow or the day after. I’ve heard good things about Dawson. He came highly recommended. We were lucky to get him between jobs.”

  “Is he from around here?”

  “Not too far away. Alexandria.”

  “That’s good to hear. I’ve been impressed with the work so far. If you need me for anything, you’ve got my cell phone number.” And she had Tom’s.

  As Lacey headed downstairs, she paused in the entrance to the Greene Suite, named after the first owner of the house, a distant relative in her mother’s family. Mrs. Bell hadn’t been too happy with her this morning when Lacey had let the contractor know that she would be taking over and had final say on the work.

  Mrs. Bell did a good job running the bed and breakfast, but her sense of style was on the drab side. Lacey had learned a lot being the receptionist at a design firm. The dull crocodile green had to go. The addition of more accent colors in a few of the suites would brighten up the rooms. Lacey wanted the guests to leave here with an upbeat attitude.

  There was nothing she could do but have the new painter redo the Greene Suite totally, and she still hadn’t talked to Mrs. Bell about that or about Shaun. She didn’t want to lose her as the manager, but Shaun was here to stay, and she wouldn’t have her child intimidated by the woman.

  When she reentered the kitchen, she kept going. She’d been cooped up all day in the office, familiarizing herself with how the bed and breakfast was run. She needed fresh air. Then maybe she would tackle the conversation with Mrs. Bell. When she left by the back door, she ran into Gus Kent, the main gardener who came three times a week, and his assistant, Paul Moore, tending to the rose beds that surrounded the carriage house on three sides.

  She paused next to Gus. “I can’t wait until these are all fully in bloom. I love roses.”

  He beamed. “Calvert Cove is getting quite a reputation for its gardens, especially the roses.”

  “And from what I understand, you’re the reason.” Lacey spied Shaun outside with Mick, throwing a ball for the dog to fetch.

  She made her way to Shaun. “Are you all right?”

  “I didn’t mean to run into her.” He lobbed the red ball into the air, and Mick raced after it.

  “I know, but you can’t hurry through the house. You never did in the apartment.”

  “Mom, that place was tiny.”

  “And you were excited to see Mick.”

  “Ryan, too.”

  “Ryan?”

  “He told me to call him that.”

  “Where is he?”

  “He had a phone call, but he lets me come out here without him. Mick is well behaved. He won’t run away.”

  The sound of Ryan’s back door opening drew her focus. Her heartbeat picked up as the six-and-a-half-foot man with short black hair sauntered toward them. His dark brown eyes zeroed in on her, and her breath caught in her throat. Commanding. Compelling. Then he grinned at her, his whole face lighting up. She wasn’t sure what she liked the best about him—his eyes or smile.

  For a few seconds, her knees went weak, and she had to toughen her resolve not to be enticed by him. Jason, her deceased husband, had attracted her the first moment she saw him. She never looked beyond his handsome features and charismatic pull. She didn’t see the self-centeredness that turned their marriage quickly into one trial after another. She’d given up her dream to finish college to follow him from one gig to the next. His music had once captured her attention, but back then, she’d been young and starry-eyed. Not anymore.

  “I didn’t expect to see you. I’ve been so busy the past few days with the burglary gang and trying to track down the guy who was lurking around your carriage house, I haven’t had time to come over and see how everything’s going.”

  She glanced at her son, running and falling down to play-wrestle with the big dog. “Has Shaun been bugging you a lot about Mick?”

  “No, he’s been helping me. I was going to walk back with him yesterday evening until I received a c
all about another burglary five miles from here. I had to leave right away and grab dinner at a fast food restaurant on the way to the crime scene.”

  “Are you always this busy?”

  “Thankfully, I’m not. Like I said the other day, this area is usually quiet. I’d hoped by now to have some positive information about your lurker. The getaway boat was found in shallow water, on fire. Not much left to process for fingerprints. The few we found were the owner’s.” He moved closer and lowered his husky voice. “I haven’t forgotten about checking your security. If you don’t mind, I can take a look tonight.”

  “Not at all.” His presence, so close, caused flutters in her stomach. “I’ve been thinking. Do you know anyone who has a young dog for sale? Maybe not as big as Mick. Shaun wants a dog. I’ve been putting him off, especially because Mrs. Bell has her own vision of how the bed and breakfast should be, and I don’t think that includes a pet other than a goldfish.”

  Shaun skidded to an abrupt halt inches from her. “Can I have one?”

  “I guess there’s nothing wrong with your hearing. I think goldfish would be great in a pond out in the garden. You could be in charge of taking care of them, and our guests will enjoy them.” She wondered if the gardener could put in a pond.

  “Mom, you were talking about a dog. Can I have one? I’d keep him out of Mrs. Bell’s way. I promise.”

  The eager look on Shaun’s face urged her to say yes, but then she remembered what happened earlier in the kitchen. She needed Mr. and Mrs. Bell. She’d never be able to run a bed and breakfast by herself. She had no experience and no—why did it have to be all or nothing? In the office where she worked, she had been the go-to person for a compromise. Surely she could come up with something for the Calvert Cove B and B.

  She captured Ryan’s gaze. “Do you know of a dog like I described?”

  “Possibly. Sid Carter’s cocker spaniel had puppies two months ago. I think he still has a few left.”

  “A dog for me?” Wonder filled Shaun’s voice.

  “I’d like to look into it. But no guarantees. We have to find the right pet, because it’ll be part of the bed and breakfast.”

  “I can take care of my pet. I can.” Shaun hopped up and down, grinning from ear to ear. “It will never bother anyone.”

  “Would you two like to stay for dinner?” Ryan clasped her son’s shoulder. “I ordered a pizza.”

  “Yes! My favorite.” Shaun punched the air with his fist. “I’m in.”

  “How about you, Lacey?”

  “Sure. We haven’t had pizza in five days. I’ll let Richard know we won’t be there for dinner.” She quickly made the call and ended up telling Mrs. Bell who answered the phone. Lacey was sure she’d heard relief in the manager’s voice.

  Ryan swept his arm across his body. “Then let me show you my house.”

  As though the white-bricked Colonial was his, Shaun ran with Mick toward the back door. “This is the best day ever.”

  Lacey walked with Ryan at a more sedate speed. “I’m glad he’s putting the incident with Mrs. Bell behind him.”

  “What happened?”

  “My son caused her to drop a tray of glasses and a pitcher. Thankfully, they were plastic and not filled. But Mrs. Bell wasn’t pleased. Shaun apologized and picked up the dishes. She made it clear she wasn’t pleased that a young boy was in the house. Do the guests ever bring children with them?”

  “I’ve seen some over the years, but it’s usually couples who frequent the bed and breakfast.”

  “Maybe that’s it. She hasn’t been around kids much.”

  Ryan opened the door for Lacey and followed her into a very modern kitchen in stark contrast to the outer appearance of his house.

  “How old is this place?

  “Another ten years, it’ll be two hundred years old, but it’s been updated several times through that period.”

  “I can see. You even have a microwave and convection oven.”

  “My mom loved to cook. Sadly, her son doesn’t.”

  “That’s a shame. I like to cook but haven’t had much of an opportunity in the last few years. Richard is wonderful, but I hate to intrude on his kitchen.”

  Shaun and Mick appeared in the doorway to the dining room. “The pizza guy just pulled up. Let’s eat.” He twirled around and headed toward the front of the house.

  “My son has made himself at home here.”

  “And my dog is trotting right after him.”

  * * *

  Lacey turned her head toward Ryan. “You didn’t have to walk us home. In case you don’t know, we live next door.”

  The lights from the bed and breakfast softened her features, emphasizing her beautiful smile that gave her a glow. For a second, Ryan raised his hand to touch her lips until Mick barked, his tail wagging.

  Ryan dropped his arm back in place and searched for Mick. His dog had his head buried in a hedge of azaleas, ready to bloom. “Mick, heel. Gus Kent has been babying these all year. He’s determine to have the best display in the area this year.”

  Mick, on a leash that Shaun held, immediately returned to the boy’s side.

  “Gus does a great job with the gardens.” Lacey moved closer and crouched to see what Mick was excited about. “It’s too dark behind the hedge to see anything.”

  “I’ll check tomorrow before I go to school.”

  “Not without me. Remember the rose bushes that you broke the branches off of last week. You need to go get ready for bed.”

  “Oh, man. I shouldn’t have said anything about school.” With slumped shoulders, Shaun trudged to Ryan, handed him Mick’s leash, then took the key from Lacey.

  “This probably isn’t the best time to check your security. I’ll make sure I come over while it’s daylight, possibly at lunch tomorrow. Okay?”

  “That’s fine with me. We’re interviewing for a maid position tomorrow, but that’s early in the morning.” Lacey moved toward the door and faced him. “Thanks for dinner tonight.”

  For a couple of seconds, she paused, her gaze trained on him, and all he wanted to do was kiss her. In the few days he’d known her, she’d dominated his thoughts, even while on the job. “Good night.” He waited until she was inside before leaving.

  He’d been seriously involved with a woman while an FBI agent, but his work kept interfering. He’d traveled a lot and dealt with tough cases that drained him emotionally. When she broke it off, he’d known it was for the best, but it had hurt. In the four years since then, he’d only casually dated, keeping every relationship at arm’s length.

  As he entered the house, his phone in the kitchen rang. He picked it up, for some reason thinking it might be Lacey. He still said, “Sheriff McNeil,” because his office always called his landline when he was at home.

  “Deputy Ferguson here. A murder victim was found half a mile north of your house in a wooded section on the left side of the road.”

  Too close to home. “I’ll be there.”

  Chapter Four

  “Who do we have?” Ryan asked as he climbed from his SUV.

  “Don’t know and it’ll be hard to get an ID on him. The body’s still where it was found.” Deputy Ferguson led the way through the trees. “The grave was shallow enough that the Dickerson’s German shepherd’s digging exposed the victim.”

  “When was the body discovered?”

  “Seven. Cal Dickerson was returning from walking his dog. When he gets close to his property, he lets Duke off his leash. The German shepherd likes to cut through the woods and beat Cal home. When Duke starts barking and doesn’t quit, Cal knows something’s wrong. He hurries home and gets a flashlight and then goes looking for his dog. It takes a while to locate him because he’s stopped barking. Cal finds the dog guarding the partially revealed body.”

  Duke was one of the local SAR dogs they used when they needed to search for a missing person. “Where are Cal and Duke?”

  “I sent them home after interviewing Cal. He was pretty shaken
up. The body hadn’t been in the ground long, but the killer didn’t want the victim identified. At least that’s my opinion.” Deputy Ferguson entered the taped off section of the woods.

  When Ryan viewed the body, he understood his deputy’s comment about the killer. “The murderer must have used some kind of acid on his face and hands.” He’d seen a lot of dead bodies, but this one was especially nasty. It took him a minute to shut down his emotions in order to search the area for any clues that would lead them to the perpetrator.

  He could count on one hand the murders committed in his county since he became sheriff three years ago. “Any ID on the body?”

  “Nothing. Not even clothing tags.”

  “Do you think this man could have been part of the burglary ring, and he had a falling out with the others?” Deputy Ferguson asked, turning away from the body.

  “Maybe. First thing tomorrow morning, I’ll be interviewing the two men we arrested again. Now with murder possibly being connected to the burglaries, one of them might talk for a deal. Have all the photographs been taken? If so, the body needs to be transported to the Maryland Medical Examiner’s Office.”

  “They’re on their way to pick up the body.”

  Ryan scanned the woods beyond the lights brought in to illuminate the dumpsite. Menacing darkness loomed yards away.

  * * *

  Ryan sat next to one of the jailed burglars, Don White. He’d already interviewed his partner who had little to say. That man had already served time for a burglary charge. White had never been in prison, and so far he hadn’t requested a lawyer. Ryan would play on those two things.

  “We found one of your cohorts last night—dead. He died painfully, his face eaten by acid. The crew you work for doesn’t play nice.” Ryan lowered his voice to a conspiratorial level. “Listen, you haven’t ever been convicted, let alone charged with a crime. If you give us information to help us bring in the rest of your gang, I’ll get the DA to give you a break. Maybe no prison time. Possibly house arrest and probation.”