Page 27 of Betrayal In Calusa Cove
“It’s early,” Hayes muttered. “You know the sun’s not fully up yet, right?”
Chloe gave him a wry look. “Says the guy who ran three miles before breakfast.”
“Running is therapy.” Hayes raised his cup. “Caffeine is survival.”
“Here’s to that,” Fletcher said, raising his cup.
They were quiet for a moment, just soaking in the hum of the café. The hiss of milk being steamed. The clatter of mugs. The low murmur of regulars catching. It could’ve been any morning, any town. But it wasn’t. Not with everything simmering under the surface.
And Fletcher had barely slept between Baily tossing and turning all night, and him having another nightmare. He wasn’t quite sure what was worse, especially since his nightmare had changed drastically. It was no longer Ken he’d watched having his neck sliced and his body being drained of blood…but Baily. It had shaken him to his core. He’d hated telling Baily that it had been the same old same old.
But she had enough on her plate to worry about. She didn’t need to add him and his psyche to her long list of problems. He understood trauma. He’d been dealing with his demons for years. They didn’t simply disappear because he’d chatted about them in therapy. Or because he’d accepted that he’d been in a lose-lose situation, and there’d been nothing he could’ve done to change the outcome.
The ghosts of his past would always lurk in the dark, ugly shadows of his mind, reaching out and tormenting him when he least expected them. The only thing he could do was not let them rule his present or his future.
“How’s Baily?” Chloe asked, wrapping both hands around her paper mug.
“I really don’t know.” Fletcher exhaled. “She’s furious. I haven’t seen her like this since high school.”
“I don’t see Baily as being the kind of girl to ever have anger issues,” Chloe said.
“Oh, we’ve heard of it a few times,” Hayes said. “I guess, some dude once was picking on Audra about her dad and decided it would be fun to put dog shit in a paper bag, light it on fire, ring the doorbell, and run.” Hayes smirked. “Baily had been there. She’d chased the guy down the street and actually caught him, tackled him, and punched him in the nose.”
“Sounds like he deserved it,” Chloe said.
“He did.” Fletcher gave a half-grin. “But I can’t say she was normally one to toss her fists around. However, she could cut you with words. Ask the cheer captain who said she couldn’t pull off red lipstick.”
Chloe snorted into her drink. “Oh, that’s a bad move.”
“She left that kid crying in the girls’ bathroom.” Fletcher nodded. “That’s the version of Baily that’s back. Fire and grit and ready to burn the whole damn thing down. It’s scary and wonderful all at the same time.”
“I’ve never seen her be anything other than sweet, except for maybe when she’s had to deal with a few ornery customers, but even then, she’s always done it with a soft hand and a heavy dose of kindness,” Chloe said.
“It’s always taken a lot to rattle Baily.” Fletcher fiddled with his coffee mug. “But these last few years, she’s been…different. A little broken and beaten down. While I didn’t enjoy seeing her with that much rage, I’m not surprised she cracked. But she’s holding Ken to the fire. She’s blaming him for everything. She’s not defending him or making excuses. She totally believes he’s behind the problems with the marina.”
“Based on the notebook you found from her dad, I blame Ken, too.” Hayes leaned forward, resting both arms on the table. “You knew him the longest. He was your friend before the rest of us, but even I was shocked by that. It was cold, calculating, and honestly, I can’t figure out the end game. It’s one thing to want his sister to be out from under a pile of bills, but to create them for her? For his dad? And for what? Just the sale of the marina?”
“I know.” Fletcher nodded. “We’re missing something. Missing something big. I have to wonder if whoever broke into her apartment was looking for something. Something that incriminates them, or gives us answers, or both.”
“Hopefully, they didn’t find it,” Hayes said. “Have you been able to go through everything?”
“Not yet.” Fletcher shook his head. “Dawson couldn’t release the scene until late last night.”
Chloe’s smile faded. “Baily might need some more of that edge she’s pulled up from her past because I learned something this morning while Hayes was out on his run.”
Hayes shifted his gaze. “And you didn’t tell me?”
“I figured I’d kill two birds with one stone.” Chloe lowered her chin.
Fletcher straightened. “I’m listening.”
“I had an old friend over in Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services do some digging. We haven’t found much on the shell companies tied directly to the loan. Whoever structured this covered their tracks well. No addresses. No actual owners. Just layers of legal fog under mountains of paperwork that go in circles and down rabbit holes.”
“So, what do we know?” Hayes asked.
“One name came up twice. Garrett Danvers. Small-time accountant. Used to be an employee at the Barbaro family’s manufacturing business. Did the books for a plant near the Patapsco River in Maryland for about ten years before something happened. Not sure what, but it seems he left the company abruptly.”
“Christ.” Fletcher’s brows lifted. “Julie and her flipping in-laws. They're circling the drain.”
