Page 35 of Trick of Light
“Oh, I’d be very surprised. I’m sure they have dark memories from that time. But let’s not dwell on that terrible story. What lawless adventure brings you here today?”
Tamara needed a cheerful distraction, Gabby realized. No more questions, at least not now. But there was something to that Garner story, she just knew it.
“Well, it all started with a golf cart…” she began.
15
When Barnaby, armed with the name of the best criminal defense lawyer in Maine, arrived at the lockup the next morning, he found Marigold snoozing in Luke’s chair, her boots propped on the desk. The two Harbortown detectives were nowhere to be seen.
He gently nudged the sole of Marigold’s boot and she came awake with a start. “You here to bail them out?” she asked, swinging her feet off the desk.
“Them? I’m just here for Tamara’s interview. They postponed it to this morning.”
“You’re going to leave Gabby in here to rot? Not very neighborly of you.”
“Gabby?” Without asking for permission, he strode to the little window and bent to look inside. His heart swelled at what he saw. Tamara was curled on her side, her head resting on Gabby’s thigh, sound asleep. Gabby appeared to be writing something in her head, judging by the way her fingers tapped on her other thigh. “What’s she doing in there? Never mind. Yeah, I’ll bail her out, if I can. Doesn’t a judge have to sign off on it?”
“We’re a lot more casual out here. No official charges have been filed against Gabby. We contacted Judy Griffin and she couldn’t find you, but she said you wouldn’t want to press charges.”
“For what?”
“She stole a golf cart and took it for a joyride. Dire stuff. Real threat to the community.”
Barnaby let out the first laugh he’d enjoyed since Tamara had gotten arrested. “Yeah, we’re good. Do you know how many Lightkeeper guests have done that same thing? No charges. I’ll bail her out.”
“Actually we’ll just let her out. I’m sure she’s had time to contemplate the error of her ways. That’s really the only point of this lockup—and to keep inebriated people from falling into the ocean.”
As Marigold unlocked the door, Gabby sat up, careful not to dislodge Tamara’s head.
“You’re free to go, Gabby,” said the assistant constable.
“What about Tamara?”
Barnaby could have kissed her for that question, and for the gentle protective hand she settled on his grandmother’s arm. The emotions that gesture sparked in his chest scared him a little.
“That’s another matter. But Barnaby’s here for the big interview, and those two from Harbortown will be back in a minute. Tamara,” Marigold said, more loudly, waking his grandmother. “Time to get up, you have some police officers wanting to chat with you.”
Tamara wiped the sleep from her eyes as she sat up. “Barnaby!” The gladness in her voice nearly made him tear up. She seemed much less terrified and lost than when he’d last seen her, and he gave all the credit to Gabby.
She turned to Gabby, who was hiding a yawn. “Don’t forget about the owl, dear, will you?”
“I won’t,” Gabby promised as she helped Tamara up. “Or the mouse in the grandfather clock.” They both got to their feet and made their way toward Marigold, who was holding the door open for them.
“What’s going on?” Barnaby murmured in Gabby’s ear, letting Marigold take charge of Tamara.
“She wants me to stay at her house until she gets back.”
“Give me a minute,” Barnaby murmured to Marigold as she guided Tamara to the “interrogation room,” which was more or less a kitchenette slash break room.
“Take your time. The Harbortown crew got held up by a call from their chief. They’ll be a few minutes.”
Good. It wouldn’t take long for him to tell Gabby to back off. The warmth he’d felt when he’d seen Tamara’s head on her lap had evaporated in a flash at the thought of Gabby poking through Tamara’s things.
He followed Gabby out of the office into the brilliant sunshine of the hottest day so far this summer. “What did you do?” he demanded, causing her to spin around to face him.
She lifted her chin. “I stole a golf cart and paid for my crime with a night in jail. Do you have a problem with that?”
“You did it to get close to my grandmother, didn’t you? You’re trying to pick her brain for information. She told me you were asking about her family lineage. What is it you’re after?”
