Page 6 of Betrayal In Calusa Cove
She nodded, throat too tight to speak.
“I’ll skip the part where I say it’s all going to be okay and go straight to tracking whoever did this,” Dawson said. “Because I’m really good at my job, and my wife would kick my ass if I didn’t figure it out. Or worse, she’d make me sleep with the alligator that keeps camping out in the yard behind the B&B.”
“You really like saying the word wife.” Baily huffed out a laugh—more a gasp wrapped in disbelief.
Dawson smiled, nodding like a bobblehead. He always enjoyed diffusing situations with humor. It was his superpower. “It rolls off my tongue like candy. Now, all I have to do is get Audra to call me husband. Ever since she found out she’s pregnant, she’s skipped to calling me Daddy, which wouldn’t be bad, it’s just the way she says it—like she’s made it dirty. It’s ruining becoming a father.”
Fletcher bent over, grabbed his knees, and laughed. Hard. “Daddy,” he repeated. But he elongated the word and added just the right flare, as if he were asking Daddy to do something sexual in bed.
“Oh, my God, that’s just gross.” Baily shook her head.
“I know, right?” Dawson rose from the chair and stretched. “Getting back to the problem at hand. I’ll get the official report filed and lean on anyone I can at the lab to prioritize your footage, even if there’s nothing but scrambled pixels. Might get lucky with metadata. Remy will collect any evidence he can, and we’ll do that as quickly as possible so you can remain operational.”
“Thanks,” she said, her voice quieter now. “But that doesn’t help me with the gas situation.”
Dawson ran a hand over his head, shifting his gaze to Fletcher, who nodded.
“What?” she asked.
“We want to help you with that,” Fletcher said.
“I don’t mind you guys helping out with fixing things around the marina, or even paying for some of the smaller stuff.” She glared. “But that’s a big expense, and I wouldn’t be able to pay it back for a while. You know how I feel about loans and handouts.”
“It’s not charity. It’s not us playing hero.” Fletcher let out a long breath. “I’m going to say what I know Dawson is thinking, and that’s this looks and feels targeted.” Fletcher took a step back and leaned against the counter. “You said the locks were all secure last night?”
“I triple-checked before I left. Bingo was here, too. He always locks up behind me. He’s a good kid and has worked for me since he was fourteen.”
Dawson’s brow furrowed. “Then someone tampered with them after the fact. Or they had a key.” He waved his finger toward the door. “Bingo said he used his to get into the marina, and the door was locked. No forced entry. Nothing out of place. The only camera outside that was tampered with was the one down at the docks. The rest, I’m guessing, were tampered with from inside the system. You’d have to do that from behind that desk, or hack in. I’ll have the geeks in the crime lab look into that, but I need a list from you of who has keys.”
The words hit like a slap. Baily blinked hard, her pulse jumping. “Are you saying this could’ve been someone I know?”
“I’m saying it could be someone who knows you,” Dawson said. “Knows your routine. Knows where your cameras are. And knew exactly what they were after.”
“Jesus,” she whispered. “The list is short. Me, Bingo, Fletcher, Silas, and Christian. That’s it. None of my other employees have one.”
“Okay.” Dawson nodded. “I trust Bingo. Period. Christian’s been working for you for how long now?”
“Going on eight years,” she said. “He’s loyal. He’s good at fixing things. I always worry another marina’s gonna snatch him away. He’s my only mechanic, and I can’t pay him what others might.”
“That’s not a reason to sabotage you,” Dawson said. “But I’ll have a chat with him.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Fletcher keeps his key in his kitchen, and the guys and I all have keys to his place. We’ve only had to get into the marina once or twice, but that’s always been with your permission, and Fletcher’s security system is…well…better than the one you have.”
Shame filled her gut. Not being able to afford essentials, such as protection for her business, made her feel like an utter failure. But she stiffened her spine, sucked in a deep breath, and took it on the chin, like she always did. What choice did she have? She was drowning, and she knew it. She’d wave the white flag and accept their help. It didn’t come with strings. It never did.
Only, she hated the way it made her feel, like her brother and his bitch of a wife had been right all along.
“I’ll have to put out a sign that I don’t have gas. That’s gonna force everyone driving around for that damn boat parade this week to go down to?—”
“We’ll talk to the fuel supplier and see how fast they can get here,” Fletcher said, placing a hand gently on her lower back. “I’ll also ask if they can waive the rush charge. If it comes to it, we’ll all pitch in to help on the docks until this gets sorted. You have to stop saying no to us.” He lowered his chin. “You opened your books to me and the guys for a reason.”
She sighed. “That’s not going to keep the lights on forever. It’s just another Band-Aid like everything else I do.”
“You’ve kept this place running through storms, floods, and two hurricanes,” Fletcher said. “You’ll get through this, too. You have to trust us and let us help.”
Her chest squeezed. “Not if this keeps happening. Not if I can’t replace that gas. And if I can, I’ll still have to cut corners somewhere else, like payroll. I can’t do that. People rely on me. But if I don’t have the gas, I won’t have the money to pay my employees either. So, I’m screwed anyway I look at it.”
“We’re not going to let you go under,” Fletcher said firmly. “You’re not doing this alone, Baily. Not anymore. It’s time to let us do the heavy lifting. I know you're proud, and I honor that. I’m the same way. But I know what that marina means to you, and I’m not gonna sit back and watch you lose it.”
She swallowed. The emotion sat heavy in her throat, but she refused to let it break her. “I just don’t get why anyone would target me,” she whispered. “Why now?”
