was handsome and always seemed to have a lot of money to spend. But I couldn’t understand why he asked me questions all the time about our boss. Mr. Rousseau, the owner, had been good to me and helped me through the rough spot with Kevin. I decided Mark must think we were involved. I liked Mr. Rousseau a lot, but that’s as far as the relationship went.”
“So what happened next?”
“Mark really seemed to want a friendship with me, and soon I began to think he liked me. You know, in a more personal way. He kept asking me out, and when I finally gave in, I found I really liked him. In fact, I thought we might be headed for something serious. That is, until I learned the truth.”
Lisa’s eyes grew wide. “What truth?”
“Mr. Rousseau was the head of a drug ring, and the restaurant was a front for the organization. The police raided the place one night, and I discovered Mark was an undercover police officer who thought I was involved in the drug ring.” She swallowed hard. “So all the time he pretended to be interested in me, he really wanted to get some evidence against my boss and arrest me as an accomplice.”
“Oh, Betsy,” Lisa whispered, “how awful.”
“Yeah, it was. The officers took me downtown to police headquarters to question me. I was so relieved when Mark walked into the interrogation room, until I realized he thought I was guilty.”
Betsy wiped at the tears forming in her eyes. Even now it hurt to talk about that night.
Lisa wrapped her fingers around Betsy’s hand. “I can’t believe anyone who knows you could suspect you’d be involved in something like that.”
“I begged Mark to believe me, but he walked out and left me there. Later, I think he was really disappointed when he found out I had nothing to do with the drugs.”
Lisa’s fingers tightened. “What a jerk. I hope he does come in here. I’d like to give him a piece of my mind.”
Betsy took a deep breath and shook her head. “It wouldn’t do any good. I’m sure he thought he was doing his job and didn’t care who got hurt in the process. I’ll have to give him credit for trying to apologize later, but it came too late. He lied to me—just like Kevin did when he said he’d be here waiting until I finished school. Bottom line…I knew I could never trust him.”
“And now he shows up here. I wonder why.”
Betsy snickered. “I don’t have to guess. I know from the way he looked, he’s undercover again. The problem is, I don’t know who he’s after. But whoever it is, Mark had better stay away from me.”
Before Lisa could respond, the front door opened, and Scott and Brock walked in with Mark right behind. Lisa shot a glaring look at Mark as Scott walked over and put his arm around Betsy’s shoulder. “How are you doing?”
She pushed her hair behind her ear and straightened her shoulders. “I’m fine. Lisa’s been keeping me company. I thought you’d never get here…”
“It took us longer out at Springer’s Point than we’d thought,” Brock said. He pointed to the back of the room. “Let’s go in my office and talk about what happened this morning.”
Without glancing in Mark’s direction, Betsy followed Brock and Scott into the office. Mark’s footsteps behind sent a warning signal flaring through her. When they entered Brock’s office and the door closed, she could sense Mark’s presence. She jerked her head in his direction. “What’s he doing here?”
Brock and Scott looked straight at her. “We thought we’d talk to the two witnesses together,” Brock said.
Betsy crossed her arms and sighed. “Don’t try to be evasive with me, Brock. I suspect Mark is an undercover officer.” She turned to face Mark. “I also know the Memphis Police Department has no jurisdiction on Ocracoke. So who do you work for now?”
“Betsy, please don’t…” Brock began.
She held out her hand with her palm facing Brock and shook her head. “No. I will not be tricked again by this man.” She turned to Mark. “Are you here to investigate me? Do you still think I must be involved in something illegal?”
Mark’s Adam’s apple bobbed. “Betsy, I never expected to see you when I came here. It was as much a surprise to me as it was to you.”
She took a step toward him. “Then be honest with me for a change. Why are you here?”
Neither of them blinked as they stared into each other’s eyes. Brock was the one to finally break the silence. “Mark, Betsy’s whole family has been involved in law enforcement as long as she can remember. She knows how important it is to keep matters confidential. You’re going to have to trust her.”
Mark’s forehead crinkled. “I do trust her, even if she doesn’t believe me.” He took a deep breath. “Betsy, I’m with the Drug Enforcement Administration stationed in Raleigh now. I’m undercover on Ocracoke to bring down a drug ring that’s smuggling illegal drugs into the country. The man murdered today was John Draper. He’s been undercover here for the past few months. I came to the island to replace him. Now it looks like I’ll be helping find his killer, and I think you can help.”
Betsy blinked in surprise. “How?”
“I received a message from him that he had some information for me and wanted to show me some evidence he’d discovered. But there was nothing on his body. Did he give you anything?”
“Like what?”
Mark shrugged. “I have no idea. All I know is he had something he said would blow our case wide open. I thought maybe he gave it to you.”
She shook her head. “No. He didn’t have time to give me anything. He died right away.”
Mark inched closer. “He must have done something with whatever it was. Think, Betsy. What happened after he came out of the forest?”
The events of the morning replayed in her mind, and she frowned in thought. “When I got to him, he said something about being caught. I thought he meant in the forest, but I didn’t see anybody else. Then I told him I was calling the sheriff’s office, and he mumbled something that sounded like ‘tell him.’”
“Tell him what?” Brock asked.
She shook her head. “I don’t know. I told him to be still, and he said something about decoys. I thought he was delirious and maybe was thinking about duck season.”
Mark rubbed his hand over his head. “Did he just say the word decoy?”
“No. He said the decoys weren’t what they seemed. Then he gasped for breath, and I thought he had died. I closed my eyes and prayed for him, but it was no use. He was dead.”
Scott touched her arm, and she turned to him. “Are you sure he didn’t do or say anything else?”
She shook her head again. “No, that’s all he said.” She glanced from Scott to Brock. “If there was anything else, I would tell you. But that’s all he said.”
Brock let out a long breath. “We just want to make sure.
