Small Town Corruption by Liz Turner

Author:Liz Turner [Turner, Liz]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-07-31T23:00:00+00:00

Chapter 7

Mitigating Circumstances

Dana stood on the dock, straining her eyes to see into the dark little windows of the sailboat’s cabin. She looked at Pete, who leaned heavily on his cane with a pained expression on his face.

Dana bit her lip, wondering if they were wrong about Susan and Maura being there after all. The wind began to pick up, rolling the waves into the dock and sending the sailboat rocking more forcefully.

Dana shot a look back at Constable Hollows and his officers, standing at attention some distance away. He raised his eyebrows in inquiry, and Dana shrugged and shook her head in response.

“Shh!” Pete suddenly said.

Dana whipped her head around, seeing that Pete was standing stock still, his head cocked as he listened intently.

Then she heard it too—a creaking sound that was different from that of the dock.

It was coming from inside the boat…

Dana pointed her flashlight toward the sound. The door to the cabin inched open and the beautiful tanned face of Susan Mendel peered around its edge. Her eyes were wide and her fingers trembled as they clasped the door. She saw Dana first. When she spoke, her voice came out apprehensively. “Is…?”

“Susan,” Pete said, making his voice loud above the wind.

Susan’s jaw dropped as she spotted her ex-husband standing on the dock. Her bright blue eyes began to water. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

“It’s you. It’s really you,” he said.

Susan nodded and then cleared her throat. “Yes, Peter. It’s me.” Her gaze flitted to Dana for a moment.

Just then a smaller blond figure rushed out from the door and leapt from the boat deck to the dock with remarkable agility.

Maura.

She embraced her father unabashedly.

Pete hugged her tightly, his eyes glistening with tears. “Maura,” he choked out.

“Susan Mendel?” said the constable.

Dana shook her head at him. Don’t you dare ruin this moment, she thought, trying to beam the message to him with her eyes.

He stopped in his tracks, his expression softening as he realized what was going on. He nodded shyly though he didn’t take his hand off his gun holster.

Susan still stood where she’d first emerged from the boat’s cabin. The wind whipped her hair back from her face.

Dana stepped forward, locking eyes with the woman. “If it’s all right, I’m coming aboard. Please don’t worry. Nobody’s going to hurt you.”

Susan blinked, still looking somewhat fearful.

Carefully, Dana took hold of the boat’s ropes, using it for balance as she swung a leg over the hull. Grunting, she catapulted herself to into the boat and howled as her knee twisted painfully.

“Oh, my goodness,” she said, gritting her teeth.

Immediately, Susan came to her side, lifting under her shoulders to set her upright on the seat cushion.

“Thank you, dear,” Dana said, smiling through the pain.

Susan nodded curtly and then seemed to become fearful again. She stepped back a few paces and folded her arms over her chest, her gaze darting to Pete on the dock as he talked to Maura.

“Susan,” Dana said, “we know that your husband Barney has been abusive.

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