Page 16 of Mine to Hold
Fucking wonderful. One of the Kirby brothers. Just what she needed.
“Okay,” she said.
She watched as Deputy Manzo strolled across the street while she stepped out onto the small porch. She suspected that if Lighthouse Cove had a bad section of town, this would be it.
When she’d booked the short-term rental, she’d found the listing had been shut down on Airbnb and the reviews had made her leery, but she reminded herself that it was temporary, and she’d lived in worse.
The other police officer—the detective—turned.
Her breath flew from her lungs like an eagle taking flight.
Emmerson. With twoM’s.
Hot. Sexy. Made her loose in the lips.
Emmerson.
At least it was a familiar face. Not that his brothers weren’t, but she had a better sense of who Emmerson was and how he might treat her, or at least she hoped.
Emmerson glanced both ways before crossing the street. He waved and gave her a half smile. “Hey.” He jogged up the steps. “My deputy tells me you saw a man and a woman arguing in the parking lot?”
She nodded.
“Unfortunately, the description you gave of the woman matches that of the girl who was found murdered in one of the rooms,” he said.
She gasped, covering her mouth and stumbling backward.
Tony… murder… dead body… police… the past she’d run from? The past she’d done her best to bury had reached out, grabbed her ankle, and now she was face down on the floorboards.
In a flash, Lighthouse Cove had lost its allure.
Emmerson inched closer. He rested his strong hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry. I should have been more tactful in how I said that. I don’t mean to scare you.”
“No. It’s okay. I’m just in shock. I mean, I didn’t think too much about people having a heated discussion in a parking lot. It happens and it’s not my business.”
“I know this is difficult, but can you tell me what you saw? What you heard?”
“I didn’t really hear anything. Just raised voices.”
“All right.” Emmerson looped his fingers into his belt and took a cop stance, making her want to run. And run fast. “Did either one seem more aggressive than the other? Were you concerned for your safety? Or either of theirs?”
“I honestly didn’t stand around and watch,” Rumor said. “I got out of my car and heard a man’s voice, so I looked across the street. He was kind of in her face, and she waved her hands frantically. I scurried up the steps, shut my door, and took a shower. I didn’t hear or see anything else.”
“What did this man look like? What was he wearing?” Emmerson jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “Did you notice any other vehicles in the parking lot other than the ones there now?”
She blew out a puff of air. “Um. He was youngish. Maybe thirty something. Blond hair, cut short. I think he was wearing jeans and a dark shirt, but I can’t be sure and I have no idea about the cars.”
“Nothing else?”
She shook her head. “Not that I can think of. I’m sorry.”
“That’s okay. You’ve been incredibly helpful.” He smiled, waving his hand over her pathetic folding chair. “Why don’t you take a seat and hang tight for a few minutes. I need to go talk to Chris and handle a few things, and then I’ll be back.”
“I’m tired. I need to get up early.”
“I won’t be too long.” He squeezed her shoulder before turning and racing off across the street.
Wonderful.
