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

“you’ve been known to have a violent temper before. I remember once before you married Morgan, when you kicked Thelma and Wayne’s toolshed until the thing toppled over.”
    “I was mad because they wanted her to wait a few months before marrying me. Hey, I rebuilt it, okay? It was a building, not a person. I’ve never been violent with people.”
    “You’ve put your fist through walls,” Cade added. “Did that at camp. Almost got sent home.”
    “I was fourteen! Give me a break! What are you gonna do? Haul me into court and tell them you think I killed my in-laws because I lost my temper in eighth grade and tore up a shed once?”
    “I don’t see how we can release you,” Cade said.
    “You’re going to lock me up? Cade, don’t you realize my wife just lost her parents? She needs me. If you’ve ever cared anything about the Owens—”
    “I have to do my job,” Cade said. “I don’t like it, Jonathan, but I can’t take any chances right now.”
    “I did not kill them,” he said. “Ask my deckhand. I was in a bad mood this morning, but I got over it. I didn’t have blood on my mind when I went out this morning or when I came back. I’ve had fights with Thelma and Wayne, but we’ve always gotten over it. There were a lot of things about them I didn’t understand, and they weren’t always willing to explain. But I loved them just the same,” he said. “They were good to me and good to my wife. And they wound up with the best-built shed in town, and you know it.”
    Despite his efforts to hold his emotions back, Jonathan’s mouth trembled. “What’s this town going to do without them?” “What’s going to happen to Hanover House? The whole island is going to change. Not to mention the fact that there’s a killer running around. And if you ask me, his name is Gus Hampton. You’re going to at least question him, aren’t you, Cade?”
    “Of course we’re going to question him, Jonathan. We’re going to question everybody. But meanwhile, we’re going to hold you here.”
    “Cade, you can’t. You can’t put me in jail and give my wife something else to grieve over.”
    “Morgan has Blair,” Cade said. “She can help her through it.”
    “And who’s going to help Blair?” Jonathan asked.
    “Blair Owens is the strongest woman I know,” Cade said.
    “Oh, yeah?” Jonathan asked. “See if you don’t have nightmares tonight, and then ask yourself what it would be like to see your own parents that way.”
    Cade looked down at his hands. “Come on,” he said. “I’m going to have to book you and put you in a cell.”
    “And suppose the real guy gets arrested. Suppose somebody finds out who really did it. You’ve only got two cells back there, Cade. What are you going to do? Don’t you have any drunks or shoplifters in there?”
    “Nope. Just some temporary residents waiting to be questioned.”
    Slowly, Cade got to his feet.
    Jonathan wanted to kick the chair over, head-butt his old football buddy, put both fists through this particular wall. Instead he got up, seething quietly, and followed Cade out of the room.

CHAPTER 12
    M organ thought they might be letting Jonathan go when they brought him out of the interview closet. “They’re locking me up,” he whispered. “Honey, I’m so sorry.”
    “No,” she wailed. “Cade, what are you trying to do?” She stepped back and looked at the chief. “I’ll bail him out,” she said. “How much?”
    Cade shook his head. “I can’t set bail, Morgan. Only the judge can do that, and it’s after hours. He’s not in his office.”
    “Then I’ll call him at home.” There was only one judge on the island of Cape Refuge—a forty-eight-year-old ex-hippie who still wore his gray hair in a ponytail. His name was Randy Simmons, and she knew him well.
    She grabbed the phone book and flipped through until she came to the name Simmons. Quickly she dialed his number.
    “Nancy,” she said when his wife answered. “Nancy, it’s