Homicide in Hatteras by Kate Merrill

Author:Kate Merrill [Merrill, Kate]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781594935916
Publisher: Bella Books
Published: 2018-03-08T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Six

Into oblivion…

Amanda was speechless, and so were they, as everyone tried to make sense of the bizarre situation. Her brain raced to the obvious conclusion: from time eternal, redheads had been nicknamed “Rusty,” and it was no different for Deputy Mike Doyle. But after all the lies and contradictions, how was it possible that the deputy was Tammy’s Rusty?

“I don’t understand…” She looked helplessly from one to the other. If anything, they seemed more frightened than she was.

“I can explain, ma’am,” Doyle said at last. “I know this looks bad, but Tammy and I are engaged to be married.”

Of course, Doyle was the high school sweetheart, the boy Lynette had described as “not worth spit on the sidewalk.” She didn’t know where to begin, but eventually she found her voice, “You lied to me, Doyle! When Sara and I came to your office looking for Tammy, you acted like you had no idea who she was. And now there’s a warrant out for her arrest. Shouldn’t you be taking her to jail?”

“Oh, God, I’m so sorry, Mandy!” Tammy wailed. “It’s all a big mistake. I never hit you. Why would I do that?”

She was stunned. “So why the hell did you run when you saw me? And if you didn’t hit me, who did?”

Tammy wrung her hands and groaned. She yanked off her sunglasses and wiped her red eyes with her sleeve. “I was scared shitless. Don’t you get that? I had broken parole, and Sonny Roach was trying to kill me! No one was supposed to know I was on the island, but then you show up, and soon all the world knew.”

She didn’t follow her reasoning. It wasn’t like Amanda had a big megaphone for the express purpose of exposing Tammy. “So why did you hit me?” she pressed.

“I didn’t hit you!” she sobbed. “You have to believe me. And I don’t know who did. But someone else was under the pier that night. I heard them talking, so I got the hell outta there and didn’t look back.”

She was somewhat convinced, because she had always maintained that she and Tammy had not been alone that night. She had heard voices, too. At the same time, how had Tammy managed to escape into thin air, when Amanda had been attacked?

She turned to Doyle. “And you believe her?”

“Yes, I do.” He pulled up straight and wrapped a protective arm around his fiancée. “She told me how you and Sara tried to help her, hired her to bake your sister’s wedding cake, and all. She would never hurt you.”

Amanda wanted to believe, and obviously they were both terrified of something, but there were too many inconsistencies. “But you’re a sheriff’s deputy. Why can’t Tammy just turn herself in and clean up this mess? Surely the law will protect her.”

“But what about them?” Tammy pointed to the children in the car. “While I’m in custody ‘cleaning up this mess,’ as you put it, Sonny’s still free. And I promise you, Mandy, my brother and sister won’t be safe in his care.

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