Page 83 of The Pretender

Craig leaned against the wheel. “Am I being questioned?”

Damon didn’t blink. “Yes.”

“Wait, what?” Gabby uncrossed her legs and sat forward.

Harris wasn’t convinced this was the right way to pull information out of Craig. But he wasn’t quite sure what intel Damon possessed. The question was if Harris could sit there long enough to find out. He shifted, running a hand under him. It felt as if he were sitting on something.

With all the moving around, Craig’s attention switched to Harris. “Are you okay?”

He was annoyed. He stood up and pushed the cushions around. “This seat is...”

Harris saw it then. A ball of black material shoved under the cushion, stuffed half inside. He tugged on it but it didn’t move at first. The ripping sound almost made him stop yanking it, but he kept going.

The material gave and he held up a black hat. Not just a hat, a mask. The kind that would cover a guy’s face as he slammed a woman into the wall.

He held it up. “Want to explain this?”

Craig squinted as he stared at it. “A tourist probably left it.”

“Is that a ski mask?” Gabby grabbed it out of Harris’s hands and studied it. Her face went pale as she held it up to Craig. “Is this yours?”

“I don’t wear knit caps like that, and certainly not in spring.” Craig let out an uncomfortable laugh then turned around with his back to them again.

When she looked at Harris all he could see was the confusion in her eyes. She was damn smart. It didn’t take her long to put the pieces together. She clearly already guessed the direction of Harris’s thoughts. Craig was on the island the night Gabby was attacked. He knew the family, came back and forth often. And now he had what could be the hat that hid his identity. He had the opportunity but the motive was unclear.

But there was something else. Harris could feel it. “Damon?”

He nodded as he slipped one of the papers out of his pocket. “Do you like chat rooms, Craig?”

Motherfucker. Harris wanted to be wrong, but this was about Tabitha and the hobby she viewed as a job.

Craig didn’t say anything but he did cut off the engine. By the time he turned around, Damon had his gun out and up.

“Yeah, not a vacation. I’m working right now.” Damon made a tsk-tsking sound. “I’d be careful if I were you.”

“You’re crimefinder?” Gabby asked Craig.

“Crimesleuthing,” Harris said, correcting her. He had the computer username memorized. He could recite passages of Tabitha’s chats by now. “Was that your username?”

Gabby stepped around Harris and headed straight for Craig. She practically lunged for him. Harris grabbed her around the waist from behind but that didn’t stop her rampage. She shook the black material in her fist at Craig. “You attacked me.”

“What? No.” Craig shook his head and held up his hands. He took on a pure defensive battle stance now. “I would never do that.”

She inched closer to Craig despite Harris’s hold. “The guy who came after me the other night wore this or one just like it. That’s quite a coincidence.”

“What are you talking about? What night?”

Craig’s confusion sounded genuine. Harris spent a lot of time lying and heard more than his share in his work. He knew some people could sell the most ridiculous stories. Garbage rolled out of them without any remorse. Harris didn’t get that vibe from Craig, but the hat did throw everything off.

Ignoring the hat and the attack on Gabby, Harris doubled back to the chat room information. “Why were you stalking Tabitha on her crime sites?”

Craig didn’t bother to deny it. “It wasn’t like that.”

“Oh, my God.” Shock vibrated in Gabby’s voice. “You killed her.”

“No! Hell, no.” Craig’s eyes widened and a look of horror crept over his face. “I loved her.”

He looked around at all of them. His mouth moved but he didn’t say anything else. The waves lapped against the boat, putting it into a gentle rock, as the admission sat there.

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