Free Carolina Isle by Jude Deveraux Page A

but no one answered him.
    He went down two more residential streets, but they still saw no people. The houses were big and showed that King’s Isle had once been rich, but was now faded and poor. “I’ll report to Charley that I think he can buy the entire place for about ten dollars,” R.J. said to Sara.
    â€œDo you think he
should
buy this place?” she whispered back.
    R.J. drove down the main street again and they looked at the shops. Most of them were empty.
    â€œThere’s fresh produce in that store,” Sara said, almost with excitement in her voice. “There
are
people here.”
    There was what looked to be a café and a hardware store. But since there were no people, they couldn’t tell what was open and what wasn’t. R.J. started to turn back to the ferry, but at the end of the street was a big building. “I think I saw somebody,” he said and kept going straight.
    When he didn’t make the turn, David said, “You missed the road!”
    But Sara saw the big building at the end of the street and knew what was in R.J.’s mind. They’d come there for a purpose and R.J. meant to do his job. Maybe the big building could be turned into the clubhouse for a golf course, she thought. When he glanced at Sara and nodded toward the building, she knew they were in agreement.
    It was a courthouse and, unlike the other buildings in town, it was in excellent repair. Infact, it was beautiful. It was two stories and looked much earlier than the Victorian houses in town. “Charley will like this,” R.J. said.
    â€œI
like it,” Sara said, then they both got out. Ariel and David stayed in the car.
    Sara took photos of the courthouse and the street leading up to it, while R.J. walked around and looked at the building. “Yeah,” he said, “Charley could make something out of this town. He could repair the houses, bring in some businesses, and make it into the resort his wife wants.”
    R.J. was smiling at the thought of telling Charley the good news when all hell broke loose. Out of nowhere came two police cars, one from the right and one from the left. The cars slammed on the brakes, just missing the sides of the rented Jag, and out jumped four armed policemen. Both Sara and R.J. stood where they were, too stunned to move. All four of the men surrounded R.J., as though they thought he was going to try to run for it.
    â€œAre you the driver of this vehicle?” asked a tall, broad-shouldered man, his face serious.
    â€œYes, I am,” R.J. said, smiling, trying to ingratiate himself to them.
    What do they want? Sara thought. A donation?
    To her horror, the policeman said, “Read him his rights,” and in the next second R.J. was being handcuffed while someone Mirandized him.
    Sara came out of her stupor. “What do you think you’re doing?” she said loudly as she tried to move into the middle of the men.
    â€œGet back!” R.J. said, but Sara didn’t obey. When one of the cops pushed her aside, R.J. started to struggle and one of the policemen knocked him to the ground. He groaned when his knee hit the pavement. His lip was bleeding and he couldn’t wipe the blood away because his hands were cuffed behind him. When a second cop pulled him upright, R.J.’s shoulder was wrenched half out of its socket.
    â€œWhat’s he charged with?” Sara asked, again trying to put herself between the cops and R.J.
    â€œHe killed John Nezbit’s dog. Malicious homicide.”
    â€œWhat?!” Sara and R.J. shouted in unison.
    A cop grabbed R.J.’s arm and started pulling him toward the courthouse door.
    â€œYou can’t do this!” Sara shouted. “That dog was dead when we saw it.”
    â€œThat’s not what Mr. Nezbit says. He says he saw you swerve onto the sidewalk just so you could hit his dog.”
    â€œSir!” David said to the policeman, and Sara was glad to see him. Even