Harvest Moon Misfortune by London Lovett

Author:London Lovett [Lovett, London]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Wild Fox Press

Nineteen

As I walked up the gangplank, I could hear Norwich on deck telling the uniformed officer who'd been unlucky enough to get paired with the detective for the morning that this was an open-and-shut accident case. Norwich had radar when it came to me. His sharp, mean scowl shot my direction before I'd even placed one foot on the deck.

"St. James," he barked, "you're not needed here. Go home."

I ignored his order and headed straight toward him.

His signature toothpick moved up and down like a lever between his teeth. "Is your hearing all right, St. James?"

I stopped in front of him with the straightest posture I could muster. "My hearing is just fine. I was here last night when the fire was being extinguished—"

"I'm not surprised," he snarled. "Awfully strange how whenever something bad happens on this island, I can always count on you being in the midst of it." He said it in his usual accusatory tone.

"While I was on the yacht, I spotted some things that looked suspicious."

He laughed around the teeth clenched over his toothpick. "Suspicious? No kidding. Some vandals set a boat on fire. I'd say that's suspicious. Now that we've had your unwanted opinion, please leave this vessel, or I'll have you forcibly removed."

"Mrs. Graves was trying to escape from the smoke." I had to speak fast to keep his attention. I had no doubt he'd make good on his threat to remove me from the yacht.

His snarling laughter was toe-curling. "But she didn't make it to the door in time. People die in fires every day, St. James. This was an accident."

"Seems to me the vandals should be charged with murder," I said.

The accompanying officer looked up from the notes he'd been writing. "That is what I've mentioned, sir. Even if they'd only intended on vandalizing the boat, their act resulted in a woman's death."

"Officer Miller, when I need your opinion, I'll ask for it."

The young officer glanced quickly at me and then returned to his notepad. I wondered how many conversations about Norwich took place in the lunchroom at the precinct. I'd love to be privy to those chats.

"What if the vandal who lit the boat on fire had meant to kill the occupants of that cabin?" I moved toward the fire damage. It was surrounded by yellow tape, most of which had come loose in the constant sea breeze. "This door has a clear mark on it." I had Officer Miller's attention, but Norwich pretended to be looking at something on his phone. As if anyone would ever send him a text.

Officer Miller was young, probably a rookie because those were the officers who always ended up with the unenviable task of assisting Norwich on his excursions to the island. He was different than the others. He joined me at the door, even though he knew Norwich would scold him for it later. Most of the other officers did as they were told.

I pointed out the light spot on the otherwise blackened door.

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