Page 11 of Lost Love Cove 4
Matt forced his voice steady for the line. “Alisha… are you sure?”
“Yes,” Alisha said, her voice unwavering. “Trent’s people confirmed it after he was taken into custody.” She snorted. “The man was hit in the head by a huge purse.”
Silence filled the study. Matt looked at Carrie again. Her eyes were wet but fierce, her hand still clutching the phone. The storm outside was now gone, leaving the house wrapped in eerie quiet.
Inside, though, the storm had only just begun. Just when they thought they had gotten to the bottom of the puzzle and knew who they were up against, the mystery had shifted, and now the police, or at least one policeman, was involved.
5
ALISHA (PARKER) DECKER (MATT’S DAUGHTER)
“Once we get the green light, we’ll head to Paula’s house in Key West and pick up the kids,” Alisha told Carrie and Matt. Her fingers tightened around the phone. “We’ll bring them straight back.”
Carrie sounded relieved. Matt did too, yet something threaded through his voice that didn’t match relief. It sounded like worry held underwater. Alisha heard it and let it pass. Questions could wait until she had Cody under her arm.
Carrie filled the silence. “We have one injured party here who needs a hospital. Oscar. He delivers mail on the island. We found him on the beach trying to find shelter when he had an accident.”
Alisha glanced at Trent. His eyes showed doubt, but he kept his face steady. “I’ll arrange a helicopter,” he said. “We can get him off the island.”
“We’ll be back as soon as we have the kids,” Alisha promised. “We’ll come with the helicopter if that’s what you arrange.”
They ended the call. The dial tone hummed for a breath before Trent lowered the receiver. He looked at her.
“Is it just me, or were our parents keeping things from us?” he asked.
“It was not just you,” Alisha said. The tightness in her chest eased a little simply because he had said it first.
Deputy Chief Whitaker appeared at the doorway with a small nod. “All clear,” she said. “You can pick up the children. Do you want an escort?”
Trent shook his head. “We’ll be fine.”
Minutes later, Alisha had her dry-cleaned clothes in a small bag, her headbandage tidy, and her hair twisted back. They stepped into the night. The storm had thinned to a fine mist that glazed the streets. Paula lived close to the building, so they walked. The air smelled like wet limestone and sea.
“It has been quite the evening,” Trent said, his voice low as they moved past shuttered storefronts and flickering streetlights.
Alisha touched the tender spot at her hairline and winced. The memory of the blow flashed again. The shock. The helpless drop into the dark. She nodded once.
“Yes.” She didn’t trust her voice with more than that.
He kept to her pace. His presence steadied her, whether she liked it or not. She had not felt that safe since Tom. The thought startled her. She pushed it aside as they reached Paula’s gate.
Trent knocked. Footsteps hurried down a hall. The door opened to Paula’s quick smile, and then the house filled with sound. Maggie barreled down the hallway and launched herself atTrent. Cody followed and slammed into Alisha with a sob that turned into a laugh.
“Mom, are you okay?” Cody asked, hands on her cheeks as if to make sure she was real.
“I am okay,” she said. She kissed his forehead and held him hard. She felt his small heart thudding against her. “I’m so sorry, my baby.” She pushed him back a little to look at him. “Are you hurt?”
He shook his head. “No. Paula helped us.”
Maggie had already wrapped her arms around Trent’s neck. Her face lifted, and surprised delight lit her eyes. “Uncle Trent? What are you doing here? I thought you weren’t coming for another week.”
“I got off early,” he said, managing a smile for her.
Maggie shifted. Her head bumped his side. He winced so fast most people would have missed it. Alisha did not. She filed it away. He was not only in Florida early. He was injured.
Trent’s phone rang. He stepped aside and answered with an even voice. Paula ushered them in and offered coffee. Alisha was about to say yes when Trent ended his call and turned to Paula.
“It was nice to meet you,” he said. His tone was polite. Something passed between them that felt practiced. Alisha caught it, and her suspicion pricked again.Did these two know each other?“We have to go. A helicopter will collect a young man, whom my mom said was injured on the island, and take him to the hospital. We have been invited to fly back to the island on that same bird.”
