Page 70 of Dead in the Water

“Different pair,” she muttered. “I probably left them somewhere else.”

“If we find them we’ll drop them into the shop,” Vic said. “It’d be a good excuse to go for another ice cream, wouldn’t it, Kerry?”

She smiled tightly. “Yes.”

“Sorry to have bothered you.” Lily called goodbye over her shoulder as she strode from the cabin. In the hallway, she glanced longingly at the other doors before continuing on her way.

On the short walk back to the shop she couldn’t help but feel defeated. Not only had she failed to track down Joseph’s son, but her spontaneous reconnaissance mission had been futile too. Maybe she was losing her touch with this investigating thing.

At the door to the ice cream shop, she stopped and pulled her phone out. The urge to call Flynn was almost overwhelming.

Almost.

Until she remembered she’d told him she needed space.

Chapter Thirty-One

On autopilot,Lily worked alongside Jessica for the rest of the afternoon, then she sent her eager employee home early and tackled the cleaning up alone. She’d flipped the sign on the door to closed and was looking forward to a couple of hours of ice cream making – which always felt therapeutic. When the bell jangled just as she was heading into the back room, she cursed herself for not locking the front door.

“I’m already closed,” she told the guy in jeans and a black polo shirt. “I haven’t put the ice cream away yet so I suppose I can grab you something quickly.”

“Thanks,” he muttered, moving to the counter and peering at the glass display.

“What can I get you?” Lily asked, reaching for a cone and then the scoop.

“I’m not sure.”

“People often say they’re spoiled for choice,” she said, willing him to hurry up and choose. “If you want to try a couple first, you’re welcome to some samples.” Anything to get him on his way so she could get on with cleaning up.

“Sorry,” he said, seeming to come out of a trance and lifting his face to meet her gaze. “I don’t actually want ice cream.”

“Oh.” Her forced smile slipped. “What can I get you then? I’m afraid I’m out of coffee for the day.”

He shook his head. “Do you own this place?”

“Yes,” she replied hesitantly. “I don’t own the building, but I run the shop.”

“I think you spoke to my dad a few nights ago.” His eyes flashed with sorrow and he shifted his gaze.

Lily’s heart clenched and she looked him over more carefully. He was younger than she’d expected. Maybe thirty – possibly not even that.

“You’re James?” she asked.

“Yes.” Sorrow filled his eyes. “It was you who Dad spoke to?”

She nodded and put the cone and scoop down. “We had a really nice chat.”

“He called me afterwards and told me about it.”

Walking around the counter, Lily gestured to a table and they both took a seat.

“I’m so sorry for your loss. It must have come as such a shock.”

He nodded, and the deep bob of his Adam’s apple told her he was struggling to keep his emotions in check.

“He seemed like a really lovely man. He talked about you.”

James pressed his lips together. “What did he say?”

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