taken a few literary liberties with thesheriff’s department for the sake of the story line.
I hold all of you at the highest regard
for the challenging yet essential work you
perform every day on our behalf.
A big thank-you to the dedicated men and women
of the Accomack County Sheriff’s Department,
and to deputies everywhere for their
commitment to serve and protect.
Contents
In the corner booth of the Sandpiper Café, Accomack County Deputy Sheriff Charlie Pruitt stared at the three Duer sisters.
“Let me get this straight—you want me to arrest the new Kiptohanock librarian?”
Watercolor artist Amelia Scott fidgeted on the cracked green vinyl upholstery. “Not arrest. Investigate.”
Her sister, Caroline Clark, nodded. “Technically speaking, Miss Shaw hasn’t broken any laws.”
Charlie raised one eyebrow. “Then technically speaking, this sounds like a waste of taxpayer dollars and the department’s manpower.”
Amelia moistened her lips. “We’re asking you, as an old family friend, for a favor.”
His attention cut to the youngest sister, sandwiched between Amelia and Caroline. She’d been uncharacteristically silent during the morning meeting. Everyone in Kiptohanock had always believed he and his childhood sweetheart, Honey Duer, would marry one day.
Everyone, including him. Until a certain Coast Guardsman by the name of Sawyer Kole arrived on the Eastern Shore four years ago. Charlie had been cast aside like yesterday’s fish guts.
Until Sawyer Kole abruptly left the Shore. Then Charlie played the fool by taking up with Honey Duer again. When Kole returned as suddenly as he’d left, once more Charlie had been jettisoned from Honey’s life like so much flotsam.
He grimaced. Charlie was all too aware that in the love department, the town of Kiptohanock considered him a laughingstock.
Charlie grabbed his regulation hat off the seat beside him. “If we’re done here—”
“Something’s not right about that woman.” Honey placed her hands on the sticky linoleum tabletop. “She’s hiding something.”
The fluorescent lighting caught the sparkle in the diamond ring on Honey’s finger. He squared his shoulders. Honey was lost to him forever. She was now Sawyer Kole’s wife and pregnant with their first child.
Past time for Charlie to move on with his life. But so far, he had
