Page 9 of Betrayal In Calusa Cove
“I can’t tell if Baily’s pissed at me for paying for the gas or not. Last we talked, I explained how I gassed up all our boats, putting that money right back in her pocket, but she grunted something, rolled her eyes, and walked away.”
“Her pride gets the better of her,” Keaton said. “I understand that notion, but also, I don’t think you needed to explain anything. She’s not stupid, and I’m sure she understood that concept.”
“I suppose. She does have a lot on her shoulders,” Fletcher murmured, more to himself than the others as he watched her shuffle her feet across the lower dock and up toward the marina.
Keaton followed his gaze. “She always has. But something about this feels different. Everything before has been about bad decisions her dad made, but this is cold and calculated. A direct hit meant to sink a battleship.”
Fletcher nodded slowly, pulling his gaze back to his friends. “It is. That LLC behind her marina loan? It doesn’t trace clean. Chloe’s been digging—quietly. Off the books. She’s working some of her old Bureau contacts to see if anything pings.”
Hayes turned slightly. “I still struggle with Baily’s dad signing a loan that ties the deed of the marina to it like that. There’s almost no way to come out from under it.”
“Yeah. At first glance, it looks normal, but Chloe said it’s wrapped in layers. Two shell corps deep, and the registered agents are out of state and don’t match up. The deeper she goes, the more it smells like someone doesn’t want to be found.”
Keaton’s brow furrowed. “Any ties to Decker?”
Fletcher shook his head. “Nothing concrete. But the timing is too clean. His development company was circling the drain until Tessa Gilbert backed him, but that alone tells me nothing.”
“Except before Tessa did that, he was accused of stealing plans from the firm he used to work for,” Keaton said.
“According to everything we found out, he denied that. And he’s been damn squeaky clean ever since.” Fletcher took another sip of his beer.
“Chloe has quietly talked to people who have worked with him, and they have nothing but good things to say,” Hayes added.
“You think Tessa’s involved in any of this?” Keaton asked.
“Only thing we can confirm is that Tessa was the one who funded Decker’s rebound. Outside of that, she’s just some rich socialite who he screwed around with for a few years, but now that seems to be over,” Fletcher said.
Keaton leaned back in his chair, tapping his beer against the arm. “So, what now?”
“Right now? We lay low,” Fletcher said. “We keep our eyes open. Chloe’s helping, but obviously that’s not official now. She’s walking a tightrope, especially with the police academy starting next month.”
“And Baily? What does she know?” Hayes asked.
Fletcher glanced over his shoulder at Baily, now standing at the front door of the marina, looking like she didn’t know what to do next. He exhaled slowly. “Everything I know. I’m done keeping her in the dark. Not after what happened with Ken. Not after what that cost her. I told her about the LLC and how Chloe was helping. Everything. I’m not making that mistake again.”
Hayes nodded in approval. “Good. She deserves the truth.”
“She’s been fighting for that marina tooth and nail—alone—for too long. It’s not happening anymore.” Fletcher’s voice dropped. “Not while I’m still breathing, and if it costs me losing her for good, well, then so be it. At least she’ll have that marina. That’s what matters to her most. If I can give that to her, then I’ll be happy.”
“You won’t be truly happy until that woman is in your arms again.” Keaton smiled faintly. “You really think she’s going to let you help this time? And I’m not talking about putting a few nails into wood planks.”
Fletcher gave a wry snort. “She’ll fight me. She always does. But what happened today…it changed everything. It’s not her buried in debt because her dad screwed up. Someone’s coming for her, and I’ll be damned if I’m going to sit on this dock and watch anyone destroy her.”
“Why don’t you tell us how you really feel?” Hayes chuckled and pushed off the railing. “Like how much you love that girl.”
“I’ve never denied that truth,” Fletcher said.
“Well, if someone’s planning something, they’re gonna need paper to move dirt,” Hayes said. “Dawson will hear about that, and you’ll be the first to know.”
“Appreciate it,” Fletcher said.
A heron lifted from the shallows and soared overhead, wings slicing the sky. The gator drifted closer before silently disappearing beneath the surface. In the distance, a thunderhead loomed above the mangroves, a reminder that calm in Calusa Cove never lasted long.
“We’re going to figure this out,” Keaton said.
Fletcher looked back toward the marina, where Baily was laughing again with Bingo, a little more relaxed now, like she didn’t realize people were watching out for her. His chest tightened, but not with fear. “We have to,” he said. “For her.”
His heart would deal with the consequences of it later.
