From the top of Kelly’s Point Road, he could see the Bay beyond. Grace had been right. It was sparkly and beautiful in the morning sunlight. In the distance, sailboats skimmed along in the breeze, and a catamaran was just edging out from its slip. It was all very peaceful and gentle on the eyes. He’d never lived on the water-had never considered it-but he could see its appeal.
He soaked up sun and small-town atmosphere as he walked to the municipal building and resisted an urge to whistle. It was that kind of morning.
He stopped at the reception area and gave his name and asked to see Hal. The day dispatcher, Garland, introduced himself and reminded Grady that they’d met at the wedding on Saturday before buzzing Hal’s office.
Of course we met at the wedding, Grady mused. Was there an adult living in St. Dennis who I did not meet at the wedding?
“Grady, come on back.” Hal waved to him from the end of the hall. “I see you stopped for coffee. A wise move on your part. I’m ashamed to say our coffee is as bad as most other police stations I’ve been in.” He shook his head. “We really need to do something about that. It’s such a cliché…”
Grady laughed and followed Hal into a conference room, and Hal closed the door behind them.
“I’m acting chief this week but I hate to use someone else’s office, so I set myself up in here,” Hal explained. “Gives me more room to spread out the morning paper and put my feet up, if nothing else.” He rolled his chair out from under the table, and sat. “That was a joke, by the way.”
Grady smiled to acknowledge the comment. “I just thought I’d stop in and see if there’s been a response on those prints that Sue lifted over the weekend.”
“I was just getting ready to call you.” Hal had a stack of papers in front of him, which he gathered in one hand. “I had Gus print out everything that came in. We have a couple of matches. There’s no doubt in my mind that these are the two we’re looking for.”
He slid a couple of sheets across the table. “Jackie Weston here is probably the woman who called herself Candice. She was picked up on bad-check charges in Wisconsin about six months ago but didn’t serve any time, not sure why, but I’ve requested her picture, so we’re going to need Vanessa to take a look, see if that’s the woman who was in her shop. The other one, this Edmund Dent, he’s the one who has me worried. Check out his criminal history.”
Grady’s eyes scanned the second sheet. “He’s got a history, all right.” He read down the list, then glanced up at Hal. “Assault, assault with intent to kill, sexual battery… and this guy is out on the street?” He shook his head.
“This arrest for arson in Wisconsin…” Grady tapped his finger on the section he read from. “Vanessa told me that one of her ex’s brothers and a cousin burned down her house after Medford was sentenced.”
Hal nodded. “The date’s just about right. I’m still waiting for his picture. If this is the cousin, Vanessa will be able to identify him.”
“Why don’t you just call her? She’ll know the name, right?”
“I’d rather not do that over the phone.”
“If you get the pictures, I’ll take them up. She’s at the shop.”
“By herself?” Hal looked up, his eyebrows raised.
Grady nodded. “With the doors locked and Grace Sinclair sitting at the front table at Cuppachino.”
“No one’s likely to get past Gracie, but still…” Hal got up and poked his head out the door. “Gus? How’re we doing with that picture we’re waiting on?”
“It’s just starting to come through now. You’ll have it in a minute,” the officer called back.
“You have anything you can arm yourself with?” Hal asked, and Grady shook his head no. “You licensed to carry in Maryland?”
“Not anymore.”
Hal rubbed his chin and thought it over. “You a decent shot?”
“I’ve qualified as a sharpshooter. The only person in my family who’s better is Connor.” Grady smiled. “Maybe.”
Hal left the room and came back a few minutes later with a Glock in one hand and a clip in the other. “How ’bout we swear you in as a part-time, temporary officer of St. Dennis?”
Grady raised an eyebrow.
“I know you’re… well, spending a lot of time with my girl, son. I’d like to know you’re watching her back with something more than your eyes and ears. Unless I’m way off base, this Dent is going to want to push on her a little more before he’s through. I’d like you to be able to push back.”
Grady nodded. “All right.”
“Come on into Beck’s office and we’ll fill out the forms and make it nice and legal…”
When the paperwork had been completed, Hal handed over the Glock and got Grady a holster to clip onto his belt.
“I hope I don’t need this,” Grady remarked.
“I hope you don’t, either. But I’d rather you had it and didn’t need it than need it and not have it.”
Gus came in with the photocopy of Edmund Dent. Both Hal and Grady studied it.
“I feel I might have seen him somewhere,” Grady said. “Maybe passed him on the street one day last week.”
“It’s sure possible. I imagine he took his time, watching her. Figuring out her routine, where she went, where she lived…”
“Hal, you don’t spend all that time studying someone just to break into their shop and steal a dress that you’re going to destroy and leave in their house.”
“I know. And that’s what’s worrying me…”
“I think you’re right to be worried,” Grady told him. “I’ve seen this type of pattern before. The first attack is on property, but it escalates. He’s already shown her that he can get to her, at her shop or at her house. I think when Vanessa completes her inventory, she’s going to find that nothing was taken except that dress and the cash receipts.”
Hal nodded. “That’s how I’m seeing it, too. And the woman-you think she was involved?”
“Not really. I think he only brought her along to go into the shop and see what’s what. But I’m betting she wasn’t in on the break-in. She wouldn’t have ripped up that dress. But an arrogant man who wanted to take a poke at Vanessa, though, yeah, he’d do that. Especially if he wanted to take a poke at the woman-Jackie-too.”
Hal sighed heavily. “If he tries to take another poke at her, take him down, Grady. Don’t let him get close enough to touch her.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Hal slapped Grady on the shoulder. “Thank you. I’m real glad you decided to stay awhile in St. Dennis. Real glad.”
“Thanks.”
Grady left the station wondering what he’d gotten himself into. When he agreed to come to his sister’s wed ding, he had no idea he’d end up playing small-town cop. Then again, he hadn’t counted on Vanessa, either. He still wasn’t sure what was going on between them, but he didn’t want to examine it too closely yet. It was enough to know that whatever it was, it made him happier then he’d been in a long time.
If things had gone differently, he’d be hiking on the Bull Run Mountains right about now. But the mountains would be there when this was all over, and he was pretty sure it would be over soon enough. Men like Dent didn’t bother with finesse or restraint. He’d strike fast and he’d strike soon-and Grady would be there when he did.
It had taken her awhile to decide where to begin, until finally she told herself, Oh, hell, just pick a spot. She opted for the office, thinking she might as well start at the back of the shop since the glass man would be coming later that day to take the measurements to replace the cracked window and the glass counter. After she finished with the office, she picked up all the merchandise that had been tossed on the floor. She refolded everything, looking over each garment to assess its condition. Except for having been tossed onto the floor-which had been relatively clean, because it had been vacuumed on Saturday-nothing seemed to be damaged. Still, they had been tossed around and spent the past two days on the floor, so maybe she couldn’t sell any of them as perfect and new. Maybe I should have an after-the-break-in sale. “All merchandise tossed around by the burglar-thirty percent off!”