Page 6 of Death on the Rocks

As she instinctively retreated, the voices outside faded until all was quiet. The stillness didn’t last long, broken by the sound of footsteps pounding up the stairs.

With a feeling of trepidation, Lily stared at the door.

The wood shuddered slightly when someone banged on the other side of it.

Chapter Four

With both ofhis colleagues out of action due to illness, PC Flynn Grainger had been left in charge of the Isles of Scilly police station. Generally, there’d be a sergeant and a PC for the group of islands with just over two thousand residents, but it turned out the archipelago was a convenient place to squirrel away a police officer who needed to be out of the way for a while. So Flynn was now the third member of the team.

Since he hadn’t technically done anything wrong, this wasn’t officially a punishment, but Flynn could hardly have felt more caged if he’d been locked in a cell.

His job had been his passion for the nine years he’d spent in the force. Even before then, actually – he’d wanted to join the police for as long as he could remember. Initially, it was to make his dad proud, but when it became clear that would never happen, he was still devoted to his profession.

He loved the feeling that he was doing something worthwhile. That he could help people.

Then there was the adrenaline rush which came with every call.

Or with every call he’d got working for the Met. On the quaint Isles of Scilly, he’d yet to experience that rush. Emergency callsdidn’t seem to be a thing out here in the Atlantic. The sleepy group of islands felt like something from an Enid Blyton novel. He was certain four kids and their dog could keep the peace on the Scillies, no problem at all.

Community policing was not what he’d joined the force for. And given that his sergeant was livid at having Flynn around, there really wasn’t any policing for him to do at all. He’d been assigned to a desk for the most part. He was the unofficial admin for the Isles of Scilly Police social media page. Which got a surprising amount of traffic. The community hub, or so it seemed. If someone had a problem with their neighbour, or their bins, or a grievance with badly parked vehicles, they expressed it on the social media page. So the reality was that he hadn’t even been demoted to community policing, but the policing of an online neighbourhood watch. Where there was virtually nothing of interest to watch.

It meant that, left alone to hold the fort, he felt a buzz of excitement at the phone call from the owner of a bed and breakfast on the island. Mrs Miller didn’t go into details, just reported that there was an issue with one of her guests and requested that someone call by to help resolve the issue.

There was something about not knowing what he was going to that had his adrenaline pumping as he drove across the island. It hadn’t sounded at all urgent, but it was something. And something he’d need to deal with alone.

The adrenaline supply was immediately cut off when he reached the house to find he’d been called out to a report of a stolen camera. Or quite possibly just a lost camera. And a bunch of squabbling adults acting like children.

He’d have preferred it if the squabbling had turned physical. A fist fight would get his blood pumping. As it was, the petty arguing made his head pound, reminding him he’d had several pints too many the previous evening. He’d also taken someblonde back to his place and, if he recalled correctly, he hadn’t been discreet in leaving the pub with her.

Forcing his brain to the present, he tried his best to smooth tempers, and offered to provide a report for the guy who’d misplaced his camera. He declined, and PC Grainger felt an odd weariness at the thought that he wouldn’t have minded the paperwork. That’s how bad things were.

When his gaze flicked to the upstairs window, he found a pair of eyes on him. The woman with chestnut brown hair drew her chin in as though she wanted to withdraw from view but knew she’d left it too late to avoid being noticed. He held her gaze, then returned to the chatter in front of him.

After wrapping things up, he left thinking that they’d wasted his time.

It was a waste of his training, and being on the islands was a waste of his life.

He lingered on the lane at the front of the house, pacing and cursing and wishing he were anywhere in the world but there.

With his mind so distracted, he almost didn’t catch the raised voices inside. His ears pricked up, listening.

It wasn’t the bickering he’d previously encountered. This was pure anger.

Adrenaline kicked in again. From one moment to the next Flynn went from feeling adrift, to being exactly where he was supposed to be.

Chapter Five

In three strides,Lily crossed the room and yanked the door open, putting an end to the banging.

“What are you doing?” she asked, glaring at Vinny.

His cheek twitched and he looked slightly disconcerted, as though he’d expected her to be intimidated. “Have you seen my camera? Someone stole it.”

“Maybe you’ve just misplaced it,” she suggested.

“It’s a bloody big camera. It’d be hard not to spot, and we’ve looked everywhere.”

“I haven’t seen it,” she said. “But I’ll keep an eye out.”

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