Page 5 of Murder in the Lighthouse

After exchanging pleasantries and introductions, Brogan picked up on an instant energy between Theo and Birk, as if there was an unspoken history or rivalry between them, which was impossible since Theo had only been on the job for less than a week. “Are Birk and Theo butting heads already?” she asked.

Jade’s face contorted into concern. “I hope those two don’t start off on the wrong foot.”

But it didn’t take long for that to happen.

Birk argued that if the search had been thorough, they’d begin inside the lighthouse, where Journey acted like she wanted to go inside.

Beckett sided with his brother. “We could go take a quick look around. It wouldn’t take that long.”

“I’ve already explained that there’s no way anyone could get inside because it stays locked twenty-four-seven,” Theo tossed back.

“Then why is the dog hitting on it within the first few minutes we’re here?” Birk fired back.

Lucien stepped in between the two sides. “Look, why don’t we do both? Let’s lay out a plan to go through the woods first. Then, if we come up empty, we’ll walk the lighthouse from top to bottom. How does that sound?”

Birk let out a sigh. “I can’t argue with that. But I’m not leaving here without making sure Sam Heywood isn’t in there somewhere. All I need to do is look at both dogs. They’re sniffing the ground, then darting and dodging around the lighthouse. They’re still fifty yards away from the woods.”

Brogan turned her full attention to the pooch closest to the lighthouse door. “She’s already found a scent, Theo. If I’m not mistaken, that’s the kind of reaction you want.”

Jade agreed. “Are you seeing this? Journey is already fascinated by something inside the lighthouse. And Brodie is right there with her.”

“That’s a hit if I ever saw one,” Birk concluded.

Lucien bobbed his head toward Theo. “Are you certain Heywood couldn’t have somehow gotten inside? Maybe someone left the door unlocked by mistake.”

“We can always check out the woods later if it doesn’t turn up a lead,” Brogan urged.

Lucien angled toward Theo. “That okay with you? We could break into two groups; one checks the bottom half while the other goes all the way to the top.”

“Fine,” Theo spit out, giving in. “Let’s just get this show moving. But I take the lead once we’re done inside when we get to the woods.”

Beckett held up his hands as he glanced at his brother. “Fine by us.”

After unlocking the outside door with his keys, Theo stood back to let Lucien yank open the heavy door for the others.

As the group entered the lighthouse in a single file, a musty mothball scent greeted them as motion-activated lights kicked on with each step. Birk and Jade followed Journey as the dog darted forward, her tail wagging excitedly, sniffing along the concrete floor for any trace of Sam Heywood. The dog led Birk and Jade toward the staircase while Beckett tried to get Brodie to go in the opposite direction and circle the base.

From their position at the rear of the line, Lucian and Brogan could see their presence had disturbed dust motes and cobwebs dancing in the beams of light that cut across the vast chamber. She elbowed Lucien in the ribs. “Do you smell that, or is it just me?”

“Hard to miss. I don’t know if it’s because the place is old, or something is rotting in the walls.”

“But Logan Donnelly had this place revamped a dozen years ago,” she whispered. “It shouldn’t smell like rotting eggs.”

“He probably just put on new plaster and stucco,” Lucien reasoned, noting that the smell was getting stronger as they got deeper into the first floor. “Maybe it was more cosmetic than a remodel.”

Brogan shook her head. A sense of unease settled in her throat as she watched Brodie refuse Beckett’s direction to veer off in another direction. As if the dog sensed something amiss,the pooch followed the first group up the narrow staircase behind Journey, Birk, and Jade.

Forced to trail after them, Theo stayed stuck in the middle of the pack.

As she and Lucien hung back, the walls seemed to murmur secrets from the past, and the creaking stairs beneath their feet added an eerie soundtrack to their search.

Birk and Journey reached the first room used for storage. It was a tidy space that housed the town’s emergency rations in case of a natural disaster—five-gallon jugs of water lined one wall while shelves of canned goods lined the other. There was a small bathroom with a shower stall to the left of the staircase.

Uninterested in this level, Journey kept going. She led them up one floor to the kitchen with all the conveniences of home—stainless steel appliances, cabinets, a sink, a table and chairs, and an island in the middle.

“I don’t understand,” Jade whispered to no one in particular. “As a newcomer, I’ve never been inside this place, but it looks to me like someone could live here if they wanted to.”

“That was Donnelly’s initial plan. He even set up his art studio inside the watch tower until he met and married Kinsey,” Beckett explained. “He spent a small fortune making this place habitable for himself, only to realize he didn’t want a bachelor pad anymore.”

---