The Crêpes of Wrath: A Pancake House Mystery (24 page)

It took a second for me to realize what he meant. He must have been in the back room of the antiques shop when I was on the phone with my mom.

“That’s why I sent Tina to snatch you. So I could get you out of the picture. That didn’t work out so well, but it turns out you must have guessed wrong since the sheriff showed up asking about Daryl and Tina instead of arresting me. But you’ve been asking too many questions anyway. I figured it was only a matter of time before you put two and two together.”

If only I’d connected the dots a few minutes earlier.

He took another step toward me. I shifted to the side, trying to keep the nearest table between us. He smirked, unconcerned by the tactic.

Wiping rainwater from my face with my free hand, I kept my eyes fixed on the knife as I tapped random spots on my phone, hoping to at least send gibberish to Brett, a signal that something wasn’t right. “So Tina was planning to skip town with you. Did Daryl know?”

“What does it matter?”

Bits of information dropped into order in my head. Tina’s involvement explained the glitter I’d seen on Jimmy’s shirt, and the fact that Ida sometimes rode in her nephew’s truck explained how the green feather had ended up at Myler’s Point. But something else made sense to me now too.

“Daryl was on to you, wasn’t he? Not about your relationship with Tina—well, maybe that too—but the burglaries. That’s why I found him hanging around Jimmy’s workshop.”

“He must have followed us there one day and figured out what we were up to. He confronted Tina and…let’s just say Tina and I had a good thing going—in more ways than one—and didn’t want Daryl screwing things up. So we got him out of the way, buried him in the woods.”

I swallowed down a lump of fear and revulsion. “Someone found his body, you know. The sheriff is probably looking for you as we speak.”

Michael’s smirk faded. He sniffed and rubbed his nose with his free hand. “Then I’d better hurry things along.”

I glanced down at my phone, searching for the send button. Michael moved so fast that he was up and over the picnic table before I had a chance to move. I tried to dart away at the last second, but he grabbed my arm in a painful grip. My phone slipped from my hand and Michael pointed the knife at my throat.

“Nice try,” he said in my ear, “but you’re not messing this up for me.”

He tried to drag me closer to the edge of the cliff. I dug my heels into the wet grass, wishing I’d worn sturdier shoes than the dress flats I had on.

“What did Jimmy ever do to you?” I asked as I struggled to hold my ground.

Michael stopped tugging on my arm but didn’t loosen his grip on it. “He threatened to turn me and Tina in to the sheriff.”

“Because he knew you’d stashed the paintings in the workshop?” I guessed.

Michael scowled. “I was running out of time to pay a debt, so I needed to sell the stuff. Plus, I was worried Jimmy might get home from the hospital, so I decided to go and retrieve the stash.”

“Was Tina with you?”

“I picked her up after I left The Flip Side and we went over there together. But Jimmy was already home and he found us loading stuff into my truck from the workshop. He startled us, made me drop a vase that would have fetched a nice sum. After that we were in a bit of a rush and forgot to grab the paintings from the back of the workshop. That was another nice sum lost.” His cold smile had returned. “But you’re the last roadblock I’ll have to deal with.”

As he pulled back the blade, ready to plunge it into me, I kicked him hard in the shin and wrenched myself out of his grip. He swore and grabbed at my arm, but I twisted away from him.

Then the earth disappeared from beneath me.

I dropped.

I didn’t have a chance to scream as I fell off the point. A split second later, I smacked down onto something hard, and the pain that exploded in my knees and left elbow snatched my breath away. I’d landed on one of the rocks, a few feet below the grassy picnic area.

Below me, the ocean roared as wave after wave crashed over the black rocks.

A dark shape loomed above me.

Michael.

Stifling a scream, I slithered backward, down to a lower rock, then to another. Michael swore into the blustery wind and started after me.

Faster,
I told myself.
Keep moving.

Although I could hardly see anything in the driving rain, I kept going from rock to rock. I knew I couldn’t let Michael catch me again. One strong shove from him and I’d end up in the ocean, getting dashed up against the rocks by the stormy surf. I wished I could climb safely down to the beach, but the tide was too high for that, surrounding the entire point with frothy, surging water.

Salty spray hit me in the face and the breaking waves boomed close by now. Instead of moving lower still, within the grasp of the ocean, I changed direction, moving to the side, around the point. Every so often, I caught a glimpse of Michael, above me and to my left now, keeping up the chase.

My hands grew numb with cold and my soaked clothes clung to my skin. I paused just long enough to swipe a clump of wet hair out of my eyes. Then I was on the move again. I’d nearly made my way around to the opposite side of the point. I could no longer see Michael and I had to hope that he was still pursuing me on the rocks. I didn’t want to find him waiting for me when I climbed back up to the picnic area.

Steadying myself on my current perch, I reached up and found a ridge to hold onto. I hauled my body up to a higher rock and shifted to the side. My foot slipped and shot out from beneath me. My fingers lost their grip on the ridge. I slid downward, scrabbling to stop my descent.

I jolted to a stop as my foot lodged against another rock. The booming of the crashing waves filled my ears. Chilly water splashed over my feet. I couldn’t afford to slip down any farther. If I did, the ocean would swallow me up.

I wiped my sodden sleeve across my dripping face and resumed my upward climb. A movement to my left caught my eye.

Michael, making his way around the point now.

Hurry!
I wanted to scream at myself, but I couldn’t afford to panic.

One rock at a time, I continued my ascent. I nearly slipped again but managed not to lose any more ground. My whole body ached and I had to force my fingers to move through their numbness. Anytime I felt like quitting, a quick glance to my left spurred me on.

Michael was gaining on me.

I hoisted myself up onto another rock and reached above my head.

Grass. My hands touched wet grass.

I was almost at the top.

That knowledge gave me the burst of strength and energy I needed to keep going. I found a new foothold, grabbed onto the rock above me, and heaved myself up until my shoulders were level with the grassy top of the point.

Launching myself up and forward, I landed on my stomach in the wet grass, my legs dangling over the edge. I wiggled farther onto the grass and pushed myself up onto my knees. I tried to climb up to my feet, but a hand latched around my right ankle.

Michael tugged hard, pulling me back several inches.

I screamed into the rain and wind. He tugged again. I grabbed handfuls of grass but I still slid backward toward the edge. I kicked and thrashed my legs as hard as I could and jerked my right ankle out of his grip.

I bent my knee and kicked backward as hard as I could. My foot connected with something solid.

Michael yelled, a wordless exclamation of surprise and fear. I twisted around but could see nothing behind me. I scrambled forward over the grass. Although I strained to hear a thump or a splash, I could only make out the incessant sounds of the rain, wind, and crashing waves.

Had Michael fallen onto the rocks below? Into the ocean?

I didn’t wait around to find out.

I clambered to my feet. My legs shook beneath my weight. I faltered and almost fell, but I grabbed onto the edge of the nearest picnic table and managed to stay upright.

Through the rain and deepening darkness, I sprinted past the picnic table toward the dirt road. I ran as fast as I could, terrified that Michael would tackle me from behind at any second. Maybe he’d fallen when I kicked him, but maybe he was hot on my trail.

My feet slapped against mud, then hit pavement.

Strong arms caught me. I screamed and tried to break free.

“Marley!”

I gasped with relief. It was Brett.

“Michael!” I managed to say between labored breaths. “He tried to kill me!”

“I was out looking for you and saw him chasing you on the rocks,” Brett said. “I called Ray and got here as fast as I could. Where is he now?”

“Still on the rocks. Or in the water.” I shuddered.

“Stay here.”

I tried to grab hold of Brett’s arm to stop him from leaving, but he was already gone, jogging toward the picnic area.

A car engine rumbled behind me and I turned sharply. Ray jumped out of his cruiser.

“Where’s Michael?”

I pointed toward the picnic area and Ray tore after his nephew. I stood there shivering, not knowing what to do. As much as I wanted to follow them, to see what had happened to Michael, fear kept me from returning to the scene of my recent terror.

Within seconds, Brett reappeared, jogging toward me with my phone in his hand. He handed me the device and settled his hands on my shoulders. “Are you hurt?”

“Not really,” I said through chattering teeth, even though my entire body seemed to be screaming with pain and cold. “Michael?”

“He’s on the rocks,” Brett said grimly. “He’s got a broken leg. He won’t be going anywhere without help.”

Another shudder ran through my body. Brett pulled me into a hug and I wrapped my arms around him, holding on tightly.

I was soaking wet, cold, and bruised all over, but I was safe.

Nothing had ever felt better.

The next hour or so passed in a blur. Brett walked me back to the pancake house, where only my mom, Leigh, Ivan, and Brett’s parents remained. After I’d given a quick explanation of what had occurred on Myler’s Point, my mom bundled me into her car and drove me home, where I immediately sought out a hot shower. Once I was clean and had replaced my muddy and torn dress with my favorite jeans and a hoodie, I settled on the couch with Flapjack curled on my lap.

My mom fussed over me, bringing me a cup of tea, checking to make sure I was warm enough.

“Mom,” I said finally, “I promise I’m fine. You can relax.”

She sat down next to me, tears in her eyes. “I just can’t believe someone wanted to kill you. It’s too much for me to even think about.”

I gave her hand a squeeze. “I know. But it’s over now.”

She nodded and blinked back her tears. A knock sounded on the front door and she quickly got to her feet. “That’s probably the sheriff.”

I let her answer the door, too achy and worn out to shift myself from my cozy spot on the couch. When she returned a moment later, she was accompanied by Ray, Brett, and Chloe.

“Marley!” Chloe sat down on my right side and wrapped her arms around me. “I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to the memorial. Brett and Uncle Ray filled me in on what happened. Are you all right?”

“Fine,” I said with a smile.

When Brett took a seat on my other side, I sent a smile his way as well.

My mom supplied our visitors with hot drinks, and once everyone was seated, Ray asked me to recount what had happened on Myler’s Point in as much detail as possible. I did as requested, starting with Michael’s arrival just as I’d figured out that he had been in cahoots with Tina. I included our conversation and everything I’d learned during our confrontation.

As I went through my story, I tried to keep my voice steady. From time to time, I glanced over at Brett where he sat next to me on the couch. He had a frown on his face and the familiar crease of concern between his eyebrows, but he remained quiet as I continued my narrative.

Stroking Flapjack’s fur, I wrapped up my story with my flight from Myler’s Point and Brett’s appearance. As soon as I stopped talking, the questions started up.

“So Michael was responsible for the recent burglaries?” Chloe sounded surprised.

I nodded. “With Tina’s help.”

“But Michael has a good job,” Chloe said. “Why would he need to go around breaking into people’s houses?”

“I think he needed the extra money to support a drug habit.” I explained about the white powder I’d seen in Michael’s truck and his habit of sniffling. “I’m guessing he’s hooked on cocaine. Reading about Lisa’s brother getting beaten up over a drug debt spooked him. He wanted to sell his stash of stolen goods and pay off his dealer.”

“You could well be right about that,” Ray said. “He might have off-loaded some of the smaller stolen items earlier but probably wanted to stash the larger items away until things cooled down a bit.”

Everyone absorbed that information and then Chloe asked about Tina’s condition.

“She’s conscious and stable,” Ray replied. “She has a concussion and several broken ribs, but she’s expected to make a full recovery.”

Chloe directed more questions at her uncle but I tuned them out, focusing on the fact that my harrowing ordeal was over. There was no bringing Daryl or Cousin Jimmy back, but Michael and Tina would be brought to justice and I was safe.

Without a word, Brett’s hand closed over my own, warm and strong. I entwined my fingers with his and gave his hand a grateful squeeze. As Ray got on the phone with one of his deputies and Chloe chatted with my mom, Brett and I remained quiet, our hands linked together. My eyelids grew heavy and the voices around me faded in and out. Eventually, my exhaustion prevailed and I rested my head against the back of the couch and slipped into a deep and dreamless sleep.

The ocean sparkled beneath the rising sun on Thursday morning. I perched on a log at the top of the beach and shaded my eyes, taking in the beautiful, familiar view. I inhaled deeply, trying to memorize the salty scent of the fresh air, wanting to keep it with me. The light breeze wafted around me, brushing feathery strands of hair against my cheeks. A heron waded in the shallows, gracefully bobbing down to snatch a fish from the water.

Eventually, I turned my back on the ocean, knowing I couldn’t linger any longer. I needed to finish packing.

Less than half an hour later, I zipped up my suitcase and carried it out onto the front porch. I heaved it down the steps and stashed it in the trunk of my mom’s car. It wasn’t until I’d shut the trunk again that I noticed someone walking along the driveway toward me.

My heart rate sped up when I realized who it was.

“All packed?” Brett asked as he approached.

“Yes. I’m heading out in a few minutes.”

Brett stopped when he reached the back of the car. “Is your car still at the mechanic’s?”

I nodded. “I’m taking my mom’s car for now. She’ll use mine for the time being, once it’s fixed.” Although it wasn’t too badly damaged, the mechanic didn’t expect to have my hatchback ready for another day or two.

Brett and I stood facing each other, neither of us saying anything more for a moment. I wanted to speak, but when I looked into his blue eyes my stomach flip-flopped and I forgot how to breathe.

“So you’re really leaving,” he said after several seconds had ticked by.

I finally managed to draw in a breath. “I have to work my notice.”

I watched as he took in my words, his forehead furrowing before smoothing out again.

“You’re quitting your job?”

Although I tried to hold back my smile, I was only partially successful. “I don’t think I’d much like the commute if I didn’t.”

“You’re coming back?”

Was that a note of hope I heard in his voice?

“In a few weeks,” I said. “My mom will look after the pancake house in the meantime.”

“But I thought you’d decided to keep living in Seattle.”

“I changed my mind. It’s funny how a bout of mortal peril can make you see things differently, the way you should have seen them all along.”

“And what is it you see now?” he asked.

My heart thumped away in my chest as I met his gaze straight on. “That everything I want is here.”

Slowly, his irresistible grin appeared. Frenzied butterflies took flight in my stomach and I couldn’t hold back any longer. I closed the space between us and kissed him. His arms went around me and electricity buzzed between us. The rest of the world faded away and when our lips finally parted, I was surprised to find my feet still on solid ground.

I met Brett’s eyes and we both smiled.

“Marley!”

Startled by the new voice, I turned toward the beach. Sienna climbed over a log and onto Jimmy’s property, waving, Patricia following behind. A second later, Gary Thornbrook and his friend Ed also came into view.

“We wanted to come by to see you off,” Sienna called out as she drew closer. “We saw your mom at The Flip Side and she said you’d be leaving soon.”

I smiled at the newcomers, but as tires crunched on the driveway, I turned to face the other direction.

“Looks like Chloe had the same idea,” Brett said, watching the car approach.

As soon as she’d parked, Chloe hurried over to join our growing group.

There probably weren’t many people in Wildwood Cove who didn’t know the details of what had happened to me on Myler’s Point. I’d had to recount the story numerous times to customers at the pancake house and no doubt the tale had spread from there. The genuine concern so many had shown for me went far beyond what I’d expected from people I’d known for less than three weeks. The outpouring of support and goodwill had only made me more confident that I’d made the right decision. The same was true of the send-off I was getting now.

As everyone crowded around me, wishing me well and telling me to hurry back, I soaked it all in, a big smile on my face. Although I had to leave Wildwood Cove for a while, I looked forward to the time in the near future when I would return, when I would come home.