Page 85 of The Pretender

This time when Gabby made a move toward Craig, Harris didn’t hold her back or worry for her safety. She no longer vibrated with unspent anger or looked ready to throw Craig overboard.

“Did you ever tell her you loved her?” she asked Craig in a soft voice.

Craig’s face crumpled then. The panic gave way to pain. It was written in the series of expressions that crossed his face—from wariness to anguish—and in his body language.

“I planned to when you left after that last visit. I’d practiced what I was going to say. I...” Craig stared at a random spot on the Bay. “Honestly, I knew she’d be pissed that I lied to her, so I put off telling her the truth for longer than I should have. There is no good time to go back and clean up that kind of mess.”

Harris hoped like hell Craig was wrong on that point.

“Then she never knew you and crimesleuthing guy were the same?” Damon asked.

“No. She thought she was talking with a stranger.” Craig was barely holding it together.

He looked on the verge of tears and Harris wanted to spare him that but he wasn’t sure how. “Someone could have planted the hat,” Harris said, thinking out loud.

It made sense. Why would Craig hide incriminating evidence in the open? There was a vast amount of water right there. He could have thrown it in there or burned it in the fire pit, especially after Damon scheduled time for them all on the boat. No, it looked deliberate. Like someone intended to set Craig up.

“Who was with you last night?” Harris asked, hoping to narrow down the suspect pool even more. It sounded like they’d removed one person but that left too many more.

“After my daily runs I stayed with Kramer and Ted. The plan was to ride out the storm then head back this morning, which I would have done if Damon hadn’t called about a quick pleasure ride.”

Damon finally put his gun away. “Were you together with those two all the time?”

“Not really. Most of it, I guess.” Craig looked at Gabby. “Your uncle was there for part of the evening. But I didn’t specifically see anyone go out, if that’s what you mean.”

“Did anyone say anything?” Damon asked.

Craig frowned. “You mean did they mention hurting Gabby? Of course not.”

That would have been too easy. Harris tried another tact. “Have you ever heard any theories on Tabitha’s death?”

The skin on Craig’s face pulled taut around his mouth. “Rumors and a bunch of garbage about Gabby, none of which I think is true. Honestly, if I knew who killed Tabitha I would kill them myself.”

Admirable, understandable even. But the kid had his whole life ahead of him and Harris thought he deserved to at least live that. “Don’t.”

Gabby took Craig’s hand. She didn’t say anything. Just stood there, watching him. “I think she would have forgiven you.”

“I never got a chance to tell her what I did or how much I loved her.” Craig’s voice sounded raspy and uneven. “But, God. Gabby, I never would have hurt her. Never.”

“I believe you.” Gabby hugged him then. Wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close.

For a second, Craig didn’t do anything. He stood stiff with his arms to his sides then his hands came up and he hugged her. His fingers spread over her back and he buried his face in her neck.

Harris could see Craig’s shoulders shake. Hear the sounds he made. He was crying, gulping in deep breaths of air.

The sight had Harris reeling. He felt as if he’d been punched in the gut. He’d spent his entire life vowing not to care for a woman—for anyone—as much as Craig cared for Tabitha. That way led to madness and a clawing sense of disappointment. Looking at Gabby now as she forgave and consoled Craig on her sister’s behalf, Harris doubted he could hold on to his personal promise of detachment. He’d already broken it.

When they finally got the boat back to the dock, Harris pulled Damon aside. “Tell me about those transcripts.”

“It all fits. There is a note of puppy love in them, though watching Craig out there I’d say it ran deeper than that.” Damon shook his head. “But nothing weird or of concern on Craig’s part. No trying to ply information out of her. Certainly no fighting. If anything, at the end she was pursuing him as hard as he was pursuing her. He just can’t see that right now.”

That sense of loss left Harris feeling raw and hollowed out. Here Craig was, driven and smart, and he couldn’t reach out to a woman who meant something to him. Not in a way where she could reciprocate. Now she was dead and he’d always wonder what he could have done differently. He’d heal but he’d always carry that what-if guilt.

Craig had lied and no one could predict how much leeway Tabitha would have given for that. Harris wished he knew because he might be able to convince Gabby to listen to him when the time came to tell the truth. And it was coming.

“You think we can eliminate Craig from the list?” Harris asked.

“Yeah.” Damon watched Craig and Gabby talk at the other end of the small dock. “The hat being there was a tip-off. It’s too clean.”

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