Protector, Lover...Husband?: In the Dark / Sure Bet / Deadly Exposure

“Yes, I know,” she said, sounding wary. Then she stiffened. “I hear you’re an agent.”

“You hear I’m what?”

“An agent. A government agent. An FBI man—or so Laurie assumes.”

“I’m not on the payroll, but yes, I work with the FBI.”

“If you’re working for the government, then why not just announce it?”

“Because there are those who shouldn’t know—just yet. Because I don’t know what has really happened—or might happen.”

“So you’re accusing David of being willing to kill to get what he wants?”

John Seymore sized her up quickly and shook his head. “I’m not accusing anyone of anything. Not yet. But Alicia Farr has disappeared. And a man died under mysterious circumstances yesterday. Your name was mentioned by a dying man who supposedly held a secret worth millions.”

“I see…So I shouldn’t trust David, and your only interest in me was because a dying man kept saying my name?” she asked skeptically.

He sighed, feeling his shoulders slump. “I want to protect you.”

“Gee, everybody wants to protect me.”

“Alex, you know that my interest in you was real.”

“What I know is that there are six of us together here for a storm. Together. I won’t be alone. And by the way, I don’t know a damn thing about the treasure, where it is, or what it has to do with dolphins, so you don’t need to draw me into casual conversation about it.”

“Alex, I really am with the authorities.”

“Want to show me some credentials?”

He pulled out his wallet, keeping his distance, showing her his identification.

“Consultant, right,” she said with polite skepticism.

“I’m a civilian employee, working special cases.”

“This is a special case?”

“I was a navy SEAL. This is a sea-related investigation.”

“Well, as we both know, IDs can be easily faked.”

“I’m telling the truth,” he said.

“So you went after Laurie?” she said, still polite, but her tone conveying that she didn’t believe a word.

“I didn’t go after Laurie. There was nothing personal between us. Besides, you were back with your ex-husband,” he said flatly, then added a careful, “And far too trusting of him, far too quickly.”

“Well, rest assured, I’m not sure if I trust anyone anymore. And now I see Jay. I have to lock up a few things and get up to the lodge. Excuse me, please.”

She walked by him as if she had all the confidence in the world. His eyes followed her, and he could see that she hadn’t been lying. Jay Galway was there.

Was he to be trusted?

There was little else he could do but hurry back for his own things and get to the storm room to join the others.

He looked at the sky just as the rain began.

Chapter Ten

As soon as David got back to Moon Bay, he raced to look for Alex at the dolphin lagoons. The dolphins were swimming around in an erratic manner, but there was no sign of Alex.

He decided that she might have gone to her cottage. Jay had ordered that the six of them remaining on the island had to gather in the storm room by ten that night, when the worst was due to hit, but it was nowhere near that late, and she might well have gone to her cottage for a bath, clothing and necessities.

But she wasn’t at the cottage when he arrived. Running his fingers through his hair and taking long, jerky strides, he went through the little place, room by room.

Then he heard the door open and close. He hurried from her bedroom, relief filling him.

“Alex!”

“Hey,” she murmured. She didn’t sound hostile, just tense—and wary.

“Are you all right?” he demanded.

She frowned. “Of course.” She eyed him up and down. “You don’t look too good.”

“Yeah, well, I’ve been worried about you. I told you to stay in a crowd.”

“I was with someone all day,” she said, still watching him carefully. “I’ve been busy…just opened the lagoon gates. Uh, I think I need a shower. So if you’ll excuse me…”

Was she suggesting that he leave her? Not on her life. Maybe literally.

“I’ll be right here. Hey, want coffee? Tea? The electricity will probably go out soon. Of course, there’s a generator in the storm room. I guess it’s not like you can’t have tea later, if you want. But I think I’ll make some coffee, anyway.” He turned his back on her, walking to the kitchen area, reaching into the cupboard. He could feel her watching him. It wasn’t a comfortable feeling.

After a minute, he heard her walk to the bedroom. Her behavior was disturbing. She wasn’t fighting him or arguing with him—it was almost as if she were afraid to.

She reappeared just a minute later, obviously perplexed.

“When did you get here?” she asked him.

“About two minutes before you walked in. Why?”

“Did you…move things around in here today?”

“No, why?”

“Oh, nothing. The maids seem to be getting a little strange, that’s all. The maid’s been in, right? Bed is made, towels are all fresh,” she said.

“Then the maid must have been in. I didn’t clean up,” he said without apology.