Page 85 of A Spot of Tea
She handed him a half carton of eggs. “For your troubles, Chief.”
Eliza watched her walk away, the hood of her jacket bouncing with every step. “Do you think she’s the thief?”
“I think her chickens like to go for walks,” he said with a smile. “But you already knew that, didn’t you, Detective?”
Eliza smiled. “Is it time for me to be arrested yet? We’ve had breakfast.”
“What, are you in a hurry?” He raised an eyebrow. “I need to talk to the deputies here. Check on morale. Make some calls.”
What was the point of her trying to rush him? Granny had clearly gotten to him. “No problem. I’ve got all the time in the world.”
After talking to the local deputies, they borrowed a cruiser and investigated a citizen complaint. A man on the eastern side of the island claimed his neighbor was throwing paint onto his deck. Upon investigation, Chief Hank and Eliza determined the paint was, in fact, bird poop.
“Another case closed,” Chief said, dusting his hands off when they got back to the car.
Eliza smiled. “This is fun and all, but I’d really like to be arrested now. Can you please stop stalling and put me out of my misery?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He started the car. “We’ll go back to the boat—how’s that?”
Eliza never thought she’d be relieved about getting arrested, but on the boat ride to San Juan Island, she was finally able to relax. She sat peacefully on the boat, looking out on the water as the sun warmed her face.
She was doing what she was supposed to do. She trusted the FBI would do the same and it would all work out.
Unless, of course, Stacy and Derek found out what she’d been up to and managed to plan a daring escape…
She stood from her seat. There was no point in thinking like that. She’d done all she could do. The rest was out of her hands.
They arrived in Friday Harbor and walked to the police station.
“You’re the least wily criminal I’ve ever had to deal with,” Chief said.
“Really?” she frowned. “I thought I was pretty clever, hiding at the sea pen site.”
He scoffed. “That would been the first place I would’ve looked if I’d ever gotten that warrant on you.”
“You haven’t seen it yet?”
“Fax machine was unplugged. Figure that.” He shrugged, pulling the door to the police station open. “After you.”
She walked in and Chief Hank followed. He stopped to speak to the secretary, then two of the deputies, then a concerned citizen who wanted to report goats grazing on his property.
“I won’t have it, Hank! I just won’t,” the man said, stomping his foot.
Chief nodded, pulling a notepad and pen from his pocket. “Where again did you say this was?”
Eliza leaned in, looking at the notepad. In the center of the page was a sketch of a goat.
She pulled away, biting her lip.
Finally, they got into his office. “Take a seat.”
She did and he sat across from her. Chief sighed, typing on his computer keyboard one finger at time.
He clicked here and there, then sat back and sighed again before punching the red button on his desk phone and dialing a number.
A voice came through on speakerphone. “Agent Burns.”
“Hey, it’s Chief Deputy Sheriff Hank Kowalski over on San Juan Island. I had a warrant for an Eliza Dennet come through yesterday. I have apprehended the fugitive, but I can’t seem to find the warrant in my system.”
