Page 14 of Island Homecoming

Still, the slower pace was already helping. She found it easier to relax around so many familiar faces of the folks she’d grown up with. And this job made her feel useful while she debated how to reclaim her confidence on the job.

But staying? Not a chance. Her mistakes would follow her here forever and Jess wanted more than that for her future. As lovely as the island was, she couldn’t imagine herself here long term.

Her radio crackled and Frasier’s mellow voice broke into her thoughts. He confirmed everything within view of the cameras was clear. Jess listened to each guard check in and when it was her turn, she gave her current status and location.

The hours of her shift ticked away, one blending into the next. So far, no one on tonight’s team noticed any signs of trouble.

Great news, although she felt like a sitting duck out here. What kind of response would the BIPD be able to mount if someone did try to reclaim the seized boat and drugs? That was a question for people way above her pay grade. They only needed her to keep moving and stay alert.

Shortly after the midnight check-in, Jess was patrolling near the water-access side of the building when something felt off. She’d learned not to waste time questioning her intuition, so she moved closer.

The steady rhythm of the ocean rocking the boat against the bumpers protecting the hull from the dock shifted. Missed a beat. Could be a natural shift in the tide or a gust of wind, but it felt wrong. The boat settled and she waited, listening intently. Then the pattern broke again.

She swiped the rain from her face and radioed in, “Possible contact near the boat. Moving in.”

“Hold,” came Frasier’s cool reply.

She would’ve rolled her eyes if she hadn’t been concentrating so hard on searching through the rainy darkness for the source of that sound. Frasier was being cautious. Because of her issues in Key West? Didn’t matter. He was the lead here and he probably ranked her lower than the youngest cops on the island team, since she was technically only here as extra manpower.

But she knew she was right about this. Another squeak sounded out on the dock and she inched forward. Couldn’t see a thing. Wasn’t the light set to come on with motion?

“Lieutenant? I’m closest to the concern.”

“Hold,” he repeated.

Jess breathed, slow and steady, holding her position. She wasn’t here to challenge anyone or stir up trouble. She was here to work off her legal fees. A slap sounded. Had to be a wet shoe on the wooden dock. She rested a hand on the gun she didn’t want to be carrying.

“Movement on the dock,” she reported.

“Go,” Frasier cut her loose. “Walden is covering the door.”

Jess advanced, in small rushing steps to stay quiet. The intruder must’ve come by water. Anyone who had slipped by the guards should have triggered the motion-sensing light and been caught on camera. With her flashlight in one hand, she kept her hand near her holster. She braced for the light overhead to give away her approach, but it stayed off.

She heard another footstep. “Police! Freeze!” she shouted, turning on the flashlight.

The beam of light caught a figure with one foot on the boat’s gunwale. In the instant before the person spun away and dove back into the water, she made note of the build, the black wetsuit, the scuba mask pushed to his head, and the dark paint smeared across his face.

What the hell?

She rushed after him, shining her light into the water and seeing nothing at all. The ripples from the diver going under were already dissipating. He hadn’t been wearing fins, but somehow he’d made it out of sight, out of reach, way too fast.

She radioed Frasier as she searched the dock and boat for any useful clues. With the rain, it was impossible to tell if the diver had made it onto the boat. Didn’t look like it at first glance. Nothing stuck out to her, but the team would conduct a thorough search in the morning light.

Frasier called her in, leaving Walden to monitor the perimeter. Tucking the flashlight away, she jogged back to the warehouse.

At the door, she tipped her face to the camera and waited for the buzzer. From there it was a short walk to the warehouse office. Through the glass window, she watched Frasier tap another button. With the quantity of drugs in this seizure, she appreciated the security, though it was clear the tech was new and most likely a donation from the Guardian Agency or other law enforcement offices assisting on the case.

“Good ears, Keller. I want you to write up the report right away.” He pointed to a work table pushed up against the opposite wall. “Grab a seat.”

“Thanks.” She took the notepad and pen he offered as well. “How did he get out there? I hope you have something on the camera because the light never came on.”

“I noticed,” Frasier grumbled. “I thought the rain caused a malfunction.” Frasier’s graying eyebrows snapped together. “Wasn’t until you went down to the dock that I realized someone tampered with the feed. I’ve been watching a damn loop.”

Technology was changing all the time and as soon as a new security feature came out, criminals figured out how to break it. “How long until it’s fixed?” she asked.

“That’s up to the tech team. They’ve been notified.” Frasier glared at his monitor array. “We need eyes on the boat, obviously.”

She tapped the pen against the notepad. “Maybe we should set a trap on the boat? Station someone on board,” she suggested. “Could be more effective than setting up another camera they’ll just disable.”

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