Page 7 of Sadie's Guarded Harbor

Melissa stumbled backward, bracing herself with a trembling hand on a small table tucked along the wall behind the door. “I can’t…I mean…are you sure? It can’t be Shawn. There has to be a mistake.”

“No mistake,” Tommy said, fighting to keep his voice steady. He hadn’t necessarily been friends with Shawn, but he’d known the guy most of his life. Hell, he stopped by the bar Shawnworked at a couple times a week to keep abreast of what was happening in the community.

More times than not, he offered a helping hand to Shawn—a ride to an AA meeting, a listening ear. Not that Shawn ever took it. And now he’d never get the chance to put his life on the right path.

“We’re very sorry for your loss. We’re determined to find the person responsible for Shawn’s death. We need to ask you a few questions.” Sadie placed emphasis on the last few words, clearly agitated that Melissa refused to let them inside.

Melissa’s posture snapped up straight, grief making ripples along her forehead. “What do you mean? Someone killed him?”

Tommy ground together his teeth. Sadie had as much tact as a toddler. “Yes.”

“I need to see him. Now.” Melissa swiped a pair of keys from on top of the table and gripped the edge of the door. “Where is he? The morgue?”

Tommy nodded.

“I’ll answer whatever questions you have later. Right now, I need to see my husband.” The door slammed shut.

Tucking his chin, Tommy jammed his hands in his jacket pockets and headed for his car. His blood pumped furiously, making the frigid December weather feel like summer. Out of all the ways he’d envisioned this conversation going, never had he thought Sadie would be such an ass. Sure, they should have discussed how they’d break the news, but what the hell was she thinking?

Yanking open the door, he settled into the driver’s seat and turned over the engine. Heat flooded through the vents, and he shut it off. He needed to cool down. He kept his gaze trained ahead, not wanting to watch Sadie as she made her way to the car.

The passenger door opened, and Sadie sat ram-rod straight in the seat. She turned a hard glare his way. “What’s your problem?”

Tommy stared slack-jawed at her pursed lips. “My problem? Are you kidding me? You walked up and dropped a bomb on that woman, changing everything in her life, without an ounce of sympathy.”

She closed her eyes on a long blink, her body rigid, before settling her glassy eyes on him. “Have you ever told someone they’ve lost a loved one before? Ever been told someone you loved has died? I’ve lived through both. Trust me, pulling off the band-aid is a lot easier when you just rip the damn thing off.”

Her admission stole the words of condemnation from his tongue. He’d never had an actual conversation with Sadie, had no clue what her life was like before she moved to Water’s Edge. Swallowing his anger, he opted for a different approach. “I’ve never had to deliver this kind of news before, and I’m sorry you’ve lived through it. Nothing would make it easier for someone to hear. That, I do know from experience.”

The muscles in Sadie’s face didn’t relax, but a hint of surprise sharpened her eyes. “You do?”

He nodded. “My mother. I’m used to everyone in town knowing my business. Sometimes I forget you didn’t grow up here.”

She settled back into the seat and dropped her gaze to her lap. “I’m sorry. I understand how hard it is to lose someone you love.”

Tommy folded his hands around the steering wheel to keep from reaching out and placing a hand on her arm, her knee—hell anywhere to show her how sorry he was for her loss. Something told him she wouldn’t appreciate the gesture. “I’m sorry, too. Losing someone you love sucks.”

Sadie let out a long sigh. “Sure does. What happened to your mom?”

The muscles in his heart pinched together. His mom might have died years ago, but it didn’t lessen the pain. “Hit and run. Some bastard mowed her down when she was walking on the sidewalk and drove away like she wasn’t worth their time. Never caught who did it.”

“Unresolved wounds are the hardest to heal.”

Something in her voice made him take a closer look at the slight dip of her full lips. The hint of lingering sadness in her green eyes. “Do you have unresolved wounds?”

She set her mouth back in a tight line and turned to stare out the window. “My wounds don’t matter. All that matters is finding a killer before he strikes again.”

He’d been wrong. Sadie Pennel wasn’t unsympathetic and full of pointy edges. She carried around her own demons. Demons she worked damn hard to keep hidden beneath a tough shell.

His conscience itched to ask more questions, but instead he pulled onto the quiet street. They had a list of people to talk to. He didn’t need to waste energy wondering about a woman who’d never open up to him. His job demanded his attention, and Shawn Downs demanded justice.

4

Tommy stepped over the threshold into Shawn’s trailer. Empty beer cans scattered through the limited space. The stench of stale, rotten trash permeated the wood-laminate walls. Tommy wrinkled his nose and moved further inside, making room for Sadie.

“How in the world can people live like this?” Sadie skirted around him, kicking discarded cans from her path. She left the door open a crack, allowing the cool breeze to billow in and help with the odor.

“Shawn didn’t give a rat’s ass about much besides drinking. I’m not surprised to find the place such a mess.” Tommy roamed his gaze from one corner of the space to the next. A stain-covered tan sofa lined the narrow living room, and a single chair sat with its back to the cramped kitchen, facing the television.

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