Page 252 of Secrets Hidden In The Glass

Chapter Forty-Five

Nate slowed his speed from fifty-five to thirty as he reached Sanderson’s downtown limits. He’d taken the patrol out on Highway 1, attempting to track down Captain Bob in the process, but so far he was coming up empty. After a quick drive by the docks, then out to Lookout Lane, he’d circled his way back, figuring Bob must have stopped off for dinner somewhere. It was nearly six—an hour after the last ferry’s arrival now that Carter Island Ferry Services’s winter hours were in effect. He yawned, looking toward the deli, hoping to locate Captain Bob’s ancient Ford parallel-parked in one of the spots. He passed The Pizza Market and Jin’s Takeout before he finally spotted the ugly mustard-yellow vehicle half a block down by the Main Street Diner.

“There you are,” he said, yawning again, rolling down the window for a slap of brisk evening air. He’d managed a solid five hours of sleep last night before the island’s unidentified pain in the ass struck again. At two fifteen, Leah had called the emergency line when Thomas reported hearing noises on their second-story deck. Nate and Shawn had responded, checking the perimeter of the house, then the Sandersons’ extensive grounds, but they’d come up empty, finding no one there. He’d sent Shawn home to get some rest, but Nate had stayed at the mansion for an extra thirty minutes, doing what he could to reassure Leah that if she or the mayor heard anything else, all they had to do was call and he would come right over.

Nate glanced in his rearview mirror and flipped on his blinker, maneuvering his way into a spot two spaces up from Captain Bob’s truck. Wasting no time, he hurried inside the diner, sending a wave to several members of Sanderson’s Scholar Society enjoying their dinners out on a Sunday night, including Buzz, Steve, and Thomas tucked away at a table close by. He took the only empty stool left at the busy counter seating, right next to Captain Bob.

Captain Bob grinned. “Nate. Isn’t this a surprise?”

Nate smiled. “You’re not sitting over at the booth with your friends.”

“Nah, they’re all talking about scholarship stuff for the kids, and I don’t have a whole lot of time. Lucky’s waiting for me in the truck.”

Nate nodded. “I’ve been looking for you—checked out at your place but you weren’t there.”

“Nate, I’ll be right with you.” Jasmine rushed by with a tray full of food.

“Don’t worry about me,” he called. “I’m not staying.” He gave his attention back to Bob. “I wanted to thank you for helping Callie yesterday. I don’t like the idea of her out alone by the bluffs in the dark.”

“It was no problem.” Bob wiped his mouth on his paper napkin and set it back down. “Gave me a chance to meet your new pet.”

Nate smiled. “Wise Winston. He’s still trying to decide if his new arrangement’s for real, but he’s coming around. He wagged his tail for us this morning.”

Captain Bob laughed. “They certainly have personalities of their own.”

“That they do.” He scratched his chin, trying to find a way to transition to a few of the talking points Captain Bob had brought up during his conversation with Callie that had disturbed her so much. “I don’t think I ever thanked you for sharing Silas’s shoe box.”

Captain Bob cut into his chicken fried steak. “I hope you found what you were looking for.”

Nate shook his head. “Not yet. You said the box was in your storage shed?”

“Sure did. The one behind the house. It’s full of all kinds of crap. Cleaning it up is on my to-do list while I have my little vacation.”

“Some pre-spring cleaning.”

Captain Bob chuckled as he chewed. “That’s right.”

“If you happen to see any more of Silas’s boxes hanging around, I would love to get my hands on them.”

“Sure thing.” Captain Bob stabbed his next bite with his fork. “Did Silas have something to do with Callie’s mother?”

Nate walked the always-sticky line of never wanting to say too much but needing to say something. “He made the locket you found in the woods. I’ve been trying to track down who gifted it to her.”

Bob frowned. “Huh. I didn’t peg that as one of Silas’s, but I’m happy to do some digging. I’ve always had a bit of a fascination with police work and whatnot—big fan of CSI Miami reruns.”

Nate grinned, not having the heart to tell Bob that what he watched on the television screen wasn’t quite the same thing.

“I imagine there has to be something more out there,” Bob continued as he cut more steak.

Nate watched the captain dip his gravy-slathered bite in his mashed potatoes. “Bob, how did you know that the locket belonged to Callie’s mother?”

Bob shrugged. “Doesn’t take much of a genius to figure it out. When the sheriff comes hunting you down, asking you about a piece of jewelry right around the same time you started looking for the blond…” He shrugged again. “The whole thing’s interesting—remarkable, really. A woman wearing jewelry my brother made disappears; I find it in the woods; it catches her daughter’s eye at the local antiques store a few years down the road. Seems to me it’s come full circle.”

Nate made a sound in his throat, never quite thinking of it like that. He glanced at his watch. “I should be getting home and letting you enjoy the rest of your dinner.”

“It was a pleasure chatting with you.”

He shook Captain Bob’s hand. “Thanks again for helping Callie.”