Page 68 of The Library on Plum Island
“He’s that in this century.” Harriet chuckled, turning to Daniella. “I nearly forgot to tell you that during the wedding, Sam messaged me to let me know that they’ve caught Ron Jackson’s father.”
“Really?” Daniella’s eyes widened. “Where did they catch him?”
“He was at the Boston courthouse where, as you predicted, a bunch of reporters showed up. He was trying to pass himself off as a journalist,” Harriet blew out a breath. “You won’t believe what his story is. Congressman Jackson is claiming that they had been framed, and he’s never sold drugs. Apparently, Ron Jackson was selling placebo drugs to druggies to try and get them off drugs.”
“Seriously?” Daniella raised her eyebrows. “They have witnesses who saw a steady flow of people going to and from Congressman Jackson’s house.”
“They also found numerous prescriptions written by Doctor Jackson,” Harriet added. “Apparently, he added a percentage to the original price of the medication. That was his fee for his clients to obtain their drug fix legally.”
“If that’s the case and his clients went to a pharmacy to get the drugs, they wouldn’t be placebos.” Daniella shook her head. “The pharmacy would lose its license if it did that.”
“Do we still call him a congressman? I’m sure Mr. Jackson senior will no longer have a seat.” Daniella pointed and frowned. “And why was Mr. Jackson senior at the courthouse?” She glanced at Harriet in disbelief. “He’s a wanted fugitive, so why risk going there?”
“Mr. Jackson senior got a tip-off that his son would be at the wedding,” Harriet explained. “When they left Los Angeles in a hurry, Mr. Jackson senior and his creep of a son split up. They lost contact, and he was trying to find him.”
“How was Mr. Jackson senior tipped off that his son would be at my wedding?” Daniella asked. “To me, it implies that someone still knows how to get in touch with both of them.”
“And that’s the person who is probably listening to the conversations in your uncle and Alex’s houses,” Harriet added, her eyes widening.
“And that someone is here on Plum Island!” Daniella shuddered at the thought. “I heard Harley tell Alex that whoever was listening to our conversations would either need to record them or be close to our properties.”
“And they never thought to tell us this because they didn’t want us to freak out?” Harriet’s voice was filled with disbelief. “That’s why they’ve actually doubled the security team, isn’t it? Because they know that whoever’s watching us is here in our little town.”
Daniella smiled at Harriet’s use of our town, showing how much she’d integrated herself into the tight-knit community. Daniella turned into the driveway for the lighthouse, which wasn’t as bumpy as the road to the Beach Plum Cottage. They passed the picnic area.
“Jennifer told me that Caroline’s late father used to open the lighthouse for tourists to visit it,” Harriet noted. “This picnic spot is lovely, and it seems a shame for it to go to waste.”
“Hikers use it,” Daniella told Harriet. “The trail through the nature reserve to Lookout Point runs through there.”
“Oh!” Harriet’s brows rose. “Shay’s done that hike with her new local friends and said it was awesome.” She glanced at Daniella. “Emily went with them.”
“Yes, Emily had been dying to do the trial, but I was worried because of her hearing impairment. But Reef was with them, so I let her go.” Daniella explained as they pulled into the driveway behind Lighthouse Cottage. “Didn’t you say that Finn wasn’t back until tonight?”
“That’s what Jennifer told me,” Harriet said, her eyes narrowing as they pulled to a stop. “I wonder whose car that is?”
“I don’t know.” Daniella looked at the sleek new pickup. “I’ll park behind it.”
“Blocking them in, that’s a good idea,” Harriet agreed, shuffling through the glove compartment and then looking around the car.
“What are you looking for?” Daniella asked.
“A weapon of sorts,” Harriet told her. “In case it’s a burglar.”
“A burglar that drives a brand new pickup?” Daniella pointed at the vehicle. She leaned forward and reached beneath her seat to pull a box out, which she handed to Harriet. “In there, you’ll find a small hammer that looks like a small tomahawk that can break a car window and has a blade that can slice through a safety belt.” She snorted. “I think the little axe side can be used to cut tiny pieces of wood or something.”
Harriet’s eyes widened in surprise. “Have you driven Jennifer’s car before? Is that how you knew this was there?”
She opened the box and pulled the hammer out.
“No.” Daniella sighed, shaking her head. “Harley puts them in all our cars. Ethan probably also has one, and if you drove, I can guarantee Harley would’ve found a way to put one in your car, too.”
“I do drive,” Harriet said, putting the box on the floor and taking off her safety belt. “I just can’t right now.”
“Because you sped your way out of your license.” Daniella grinned at the look Harriet shot her.
“I’ll get it back when I’m ready,” Harriet said, sliding out of the car. Daniella followed her. “Before we walk into a house that has a potential burglar with expensive taste in vehicles, you still haven’t answered my question about having feelings for Alex.”
“Do you have feelings for Alex?” Daniella didn’t know why she asked that, but she also realized that she really wanted to know the answer to it.
