Free Cape Refuge Series 2 in 1: Cape Refge And Southern Storm by Terri Blackstock Page A

precious place.”
    Sadie sat straighter. “But I don’t have enough money for a bed-and-breakfast.”
    “You find Thelma and Wayne and you don’t have to worry about the money, at least not for a while. They’ll give you time to get a job and get set up. Yes, sir, if I had just blown into town on a Greyhound bus, that’s the first place I’d go.”
    Sadie felt a faint sense of hope. “Okay,” she said, “I’ll look into it. Thanks.”
    She finished the pie, then got to her feet and slid the backpack onto one shoulder. Reluctantly, she started out of the diner, wishing she didn’t have to leave her new friend, but knowing that she had to get wherever she was going before it got dark, so that neither Jack nor Dreadlocks could catch up to her.

CHAPTER 11
    “ S o tell me again why you were at the dock this morning fighting with your in-laws?” Joe McCormick asked Jonathan when the door closed.
    Jonathan watched the detective smooth his hand over his shaved head. He had his foot propped on a chair and was looking down his nose at him. A little power was a dangerous thing, Jonathan thought.
    “I told you,” he said. “We’ve been all through this. Melinda Jane can read it back to you.”
    Melinda Jane wiped her nose with a wadded tissue.
    “Want me to, Joe?”
    “That won’t be necessary,” Cade said.
    “The rumor is that you gave them an ultimatum,” McCormick said, dropping his foot to the floor and pacing to the window. “What was that ultimatum?”
    “I told them that either Gus had to go or Morgan was quitting and we were moving out.”
    Cade, who sat on a folding chair in the corner of the room, lifted one eyebrow. “Would she have done that?”
    Jonathan rubbed his face. “I don’t know. It was half bluff. I figured I’d worry about that later. I was hoping they’d just ask him to leave. But they said no, they weren’t going to let Gus go. I couldn’t believe it.”
    “And then it escalated into a yelling fight,” Cade said. “One witness said you yelled that if they didn’t take care of it, you would. What did you mean by that?”
    “Just what I said. That I’d take Morgan and move out.”
    “So you got pretty mad at them,” McCormick said. “Were there any blows thrown?”
    Jonathan looked up at him like he was crazy. “No, there were no blows thrown. I raised my voice a little, that’s all. Several people heard it and got all bug-eyed like they’d just witnessed something real important. And I stormed down the pier and got on my rig.”
    McCormick’s eyes narrowed. “Jonathan, tell us what happened when you brought your rig back.”
    “Well, we cleaned up, got the boat put to bed,” Jonathan said. “And then I had to rush to shower and shave before the city council meeting.”
    Cade slid his chair closer to the table and leaned on his elbows. “So you were at the city council meeting when they started talking about Hanover House?”
    “Right,” Jonathan said, “only Thelma and Wayne weren’t there. So I took off looking for them.”
    “Where did you go first?” Cade asked.
    “Well, I went by the house, but no one was there.”
    “Did you go out to the toolshed?”
    “No. I haven’t been out there for several days.” He slapped his hands on the table. “Look, I know I’m a hothead. I lost my temper this morning. I yelled a little too loud. It’s my wife we’re talking about. I didn’t want her around some ex-con who claims he’s found God. I was afraid of what he might do. Maybe I was wrong to do and say what I did, but you can’t arrest me for that.” He stood and leaned across the table, his eyes fixed on McCormick’s. “And think about it. Why would I use my own speargun if I was going to kill them? And why would I be so stupid as to toss the gun into the water before I left?”
    “Maybe you panicked. Not thinking,” McCormick said.
    Jonathan turned to Cade. “You can’t seriously think I’m capable of this.”
    “Jonathan,” Cade said,