Tidewater Inn (22 page)
T
he last of the clouds had rolled away when Libby got out of Alec's truck in the circular drive by the old hotel. She was struck again at the structure's beauty. Someone moved on the expansive columned porch, and she saw Brent leaning on the balustrade. Vanessa was at a table with a coffee cup in her hand.
Libby's stomach tightened at the thought of the coming confrontation. She wanted to love her siblings. That they might be involved in Nicole's disappearance was too horrible to contemplate.
“Steady, let me handle this,” Alec said when she drew in a deep breath.
She knew he would be calmer than she was, so she nodded and followed him up the sweeping steps to the grand porch. At the moment, she was glad she hadn't given the necklace to Vanessa.
Brent straightened when they drew near. Libby studied his handsome face. Vanessa was beautiful as well. Their adversarial situation showed no signs of changing. Libby touched her necklace.
What would Jesus do?
Brent's smile melted away when he glanced at Alec's face. “Something wrong?”
“You tell us.” Alec stared at him. “You tried to persuade Nicole to talk Libby into giving up her inheritance. And when Nicole refused, you argued. Two days before she disappeared. That looks bad.”
Vanessa joined them at the railing. “Who told you this?”
Alec folded his arms across his chest. “That's not important.”
“It had to be Mindy. She was the only other person there,” Brent said. “So what? It's no crime to try to convince Libby to do the right thing.”
“The right thing.” Libby shook her head. “It was the right thing for you. Not for anyone else.”
His eyes were cold. “I didn't know you. I still don't. You're a stranger to us and to this town. You don't understand.”
“So help me understand! I know it's too much to ask to be part of the family, but the least you could do is treat me with common courtesy.”
Vanessa and Brent exchanged a glance. Was it Libby's imagination or did her sister look a little shamefaced?
Alec narrowed his eyes. “So why didn't you go meet her to show her the lighthouse, Vanessa? Because the two of you'd made plans to do away with her?”
“We had nothing to do with her disappearance,” Brent said.
The screen door opened and Pearl stepped out. For someone so rotund, she was light on her feet. “What's going on out here?” she asked. “Your voices are carrying to our guests.”
“Brent and Vanessa may know more about Nicole's disappearance than they've been willing to tell us,” Alec said.
“Oh dear me, that's not true, is it?” Pearl's gaze went from her nephew to her niece. “What do you know about that girl's kidnapping? Tell the truth now.”
Pearl's appearance took all the bravado out of Brent. “We didn't have anything to do with her disappearance, Aunt Pearl.”
Pearl's gaze narrowed on him. “Did you ask some friends to put a scare into her?”
He flushed. “I wouldn't do that.”
Pearl lifted a brow. “No? I think Jennifer Masters might disagree with that.”
“That was different.”
Libby didn't like the way he looked down, or the color that came and went in his face. “You've done this before?” If he'd played a prank, then maybe she would have Nicole safe and sound yet today.
He shrugged. “It was just a trick on an old girlfriend.”
“Way I heard it, you had two friends grab her and take her to the mainland, where they left her to find her own way back home,” Alec said. “I'd forgotten about that. Is that what you did with Nicole? Tell us the truth. We can have her picked up.”
“I didn't do anything!”
“Quit harassing Brent,” Vanessa snapped. “He had nothing to do with this. Neither did I.”
“It still seems odd that you didn't meet her when you said you would,” Libby said. “I was watching on the cam. When she was taken, you were already ten minutes late.”
“Being late is not a crime.” She glanced at her brother.
This was getting them nowhere. The two weren't budging, but Libby didn't get the sense that they were guilty of harming Nicole. “How do you get to the lighthouse ruins you were going to show her?” she asked. “Maybe that's a place to start looking.”
“She wasn't taken there,” Alec said. “She was on the boardwalk.”
“True enough, but we don't know anywhere else to look.” Libby wasn't about to let any of them dissuade her. If she had to go by herself, she would. “Can someone direct me to it?”
“I'll take you whenever you want,” Alec said. “I think it's a waste of time though. The site is down the shore in an area where no one ever goes. The fastest way to get there is by boat.”
“How was Nicole going to get there?” Libby asked. “Were you meeting her in a boat or what?”
They both stared at Vanessa, who put her cup down on the railing and stared out to sea without answering. Libby curled her fingers into her palms. “Vanessa, I've had enough of your attitude. My friend is
missing
. She's been kidnapped. Do you get that? I saw two men forcibly take her away. She was kicking and screaming. One of them poked a needle in her arm.” Her voice broke and she took a deep breath. “You'll help me find her or you can get out of my house.”
Vanessa's eyes widened. So did Pearl's. Brent just continued to look bored.
“We have no place to go,” Vanessa said. “I've spent more time in this house than you can imagine. Dad would roll over in his grave if he heard you threaten us like this.”
Her sister's words brought Libby up short. Extend grace, he'd asked. She hardened her jaw. “All that matters to me is finding Nicole. Conflict like this is fruitless.”
Vanessa's lips tightened. “I'm not the one who declared war. You think you can breeze in here and take over, but as you pointed out, you didn't even know Daddy. You're no real daughter.”
“Maybe not,” Libby said evenly. “But I own this place and I say who goes and who stays. So you choose which side you're on and let me know.” She slapped her hand to her head. “What's the use? I'm going to go do something useful.”
As she walked into the house, she fingered her necklace. Would Jesus have been so harsh? Maybe. He did confront the money changers in the temple. Figuring out how to act in a godly manner was even harder than she thought it would be.
Libby changed her clothes. Heat gun in hand, she attacked the layers of chipped paint on the trim around the front door. There were easily ten layers of paint on the wood. When it softened and melted, she scraped it off with a putty knife and deposited it in a metal coffee can the gardener had found for her.
“That almost looks fun,” Alec said from behind her. “Want some help?”
“I only have one heat gun or I'd take you up on it.”
A white SUV pulled into the driveway. A slim woman with auburn curls stepped out of the passenger side. Moments later a stocky man with dark hair was out also and opening the back door on his side. A young boy of about ten joined the woman in the drive.
Libby put down the heat gun. They must be new guests. “Hello,” she said, smiling at the family. “Welcome to Tidewater Inn.”
The woman was staring at the inn with clear admiration. “I always forget just how beautiful it is until I get here again.” She transferred her attention to Libby and held out her hand. “I'm Bree Matthews. You're expecting us.”
Delilah had mentioned the family's arrival. It was their third visit in as many years. “We've got your room ready,” Libby said. “Can I help you with anything? Call one of the men to help with luggage?”
“I'll help them,” Alec said.
Bree pulled the boy beside her. “This is Davy. He's ten now and my big boy. That's my husband, Kade.”
Kade was lifting toddlers from car seats in the back. “Be ready,” he called. “They've been cooped up and will want to run for the water.” He set a little boy and girl on the ground.
“How old are they?” Libby asked.
“Almost two. They're named Hunter and Hannah.” Bree smiled and scooped her daughter up as she ran past. “You don't have your swimsuit on yet, honey,” she told the child.
“They're beautiful.” But Libby's attention was caught by the gorgeous dog that hopped out of the hatch. “Nice dog.” Did they allow dogs in the inn? Delilah had never mentioned their policy.
“This is Samson, my search dog.”
Libby watched Alec pet the dog. “Search dog? He finds lost people, like on TV?”
“He's the best.” Bree snapped her fingers and the dog rushed over to lick them. “Good boy,” she crooned.
Libby stared at the dog. He looked like he had quite a bit of German shepherd in him. “I don't know if you've heard anything about it, but we have a missing woman here. She happens to be my business partner.”
Bree's gaze sharpened. “What happened? I haven't watched the news. We've been driving from Michigan and have been playing videos for the children.”
Libby told her about Nicole's abduction. “You think he can find her?” Libby petted him and he nosed her leg.
“We can let him try.” There was a shadow in Bree's green eyes, but she held Libby's gaze. “A water search is always harder. I want you to understand that. But he has a good nose. We'll do what we can, okay?”
Libby had hoped for utter assurance, but she managed a smile. “I appreciate anything you can do.”
Bree glanced around. “Any idea of where to start the search?”
“I can show you where she was taken, but I also know Nicole was down the beach a ways, at some old lighthouse ruins. We haven't searched there yet, and I thought we might look at the ruins too. But let's get you unpacked first. I'll show you to your room.”
Delilah had arranged for them to have the only two-bedroom suite so the children would have plenty of space. Libby hadn't been around kids much, and as the men unloaded the back of the SUV, she found her gaze lingering on the twins. Their dark hair was soft and curly. The little girl had Bree's pointed chin and hairline. The little boy was stocky like his handsome father.
“I want to see the water,” Davy announced.
Hannah ran to Alec's leg and tugged on his jeans. “Water,” she said, pointing toward the waves.
“We're going, bug,” Kade said, touching the boy's hair.
Libby liked Kade already. The way he looked at Bree made Libby glance at Alec from the corner of her eye. Alec was tossing little Hannah in the air while she giggled and screamed, “More!” He seemed to be a natural with the kids. And he'd willingly taken on the raising of his nephew. That couldn't have been easy. Only a rare man would be willing to alter his life that much.
The women corralled the children while the men took the luggage to the room. Bree's mouth curved in a smile. “I like your fellow.”
Libby stopped petting Samson, then resumed. “He's not my fellow. I haven't known him very long.”
“Sometimes it doesn't take long. He seems like a nice guy.”
“He's a good man,” Libby agreed.
The men came back out. Kade had a vest in his hand. The dog began to prance around Bree when she took it from him. “Hold still, Samson.” She knelt and slipped the vest onto the dog. His tail came up and he looked even more alert. “Someone is ready to go searching.”
Samson's ears pricked at the word
searching
. He whined and looked down the beach. “He knows what we're talking about?” Libby asked.
“Oh yes. He loves his job. He acts differently when he's working. Let's go to the location where she was taken. Can you get me something that Nicole has worn? Put it in double paper sacks.” Bree handed her two bags. “Our best chance is to go out on a boat and see if Samson can get a scent. But, Libby, it's going to be a long shot, okay?”