A Spirited Gift

“He’s been there all night. I think Barker and David can handle him.” I was glad to see the kitchen was in order—though lacking most of the fresh food that had been there when Kevin left.

From there, we headed to the flooded ballroom. The look on Kevin’s face when we walked in was heartbreaking. Knowing how hard he’d worked on the old inn made me feel even worse. I watched him slog through the water and debris to stare out of the big, broken window.

“What a mess,” he said. “I’m glad I have good insurance.”

I took a deep breath, not realizing until that moment that I had been worried he might not want to clean up and start over. Not everyone did. Some people came to live in Duck and didn’t make it past the first storm. Kevin had staying power. He was a keeper. That made me smile despite everything that had happened.

I helped him put boards across some of the windows upstairs. There weren’t any pieces of wood big enough to put across the window in the ballroom. We put a few tarps over it until repairs could be made. At least the damage wouldn’t get any worse.

I really didn’t want to be at the inn when Sandi’s husband got there. But I felt like I owed it to her. I was the one who noticed she was gone—and had found her body. I hoped that obligation didn’t include telling him about Matthew. It seemed like too much for a person to hear at one time.

By lunchtime, the inn was cleaned up and all the holes were patched, at least temporarily. With no supplies coming from the mainland, we were going to have to make do for a few days. I knew from past experience that it would be a rough time for everyone, but we’d get through. We always did.

Some of the mayors came back to the inn, since they couldn’t make it through to their homes and there was nowhere else to go. Motels were full up with refugees. We’d heard stories about houses with roofs missing, cars upside down in the middle of Duck Road and electric poles down across the island.

The Blue Whale had become a refuge for stranded travelers and local residents whose homes were badly damaged. They kept coming and Kevin found places for them. At lunch, we put together a meal for over two hundred people, many of them strangers. It was one of Duck’s finest hours.

We were joking around in the kitchen when Shawn Foxx arrived with his two little girls. I knew him right away even though it had been a few years since I’d last seen him.

“I heard my wife is missing,” he said. “I hope you have some news for me.”

Chapter 9

Althea, who was used to dealing with small children at the library, took the two little girls into the next room, promising them ice cream. Everyone else cleared out of the kitchen, leaving Kevin and me to talk to Sandi’s husband.

I wanted to tell Kevin that he could leave too. This wasn’t his responsibility. But I knew when he pulled up a chair for Shawn and then sat down opposite him that he wasn’t leaving. I was glad to have him there. I’d been mayor of Duck for two years, but I’d never had to tell anyone that their wife was dead. I wouldn’t be involved now except for that feeling inside that I should be the one to break the news.

“I don’t know if you remember me, Shawn,” I began. “I’m Dae O’Donnell. Sandi and I went to a few conferences together.”

“Sure. I remember you. What’s this all about, Dae?”

There was no easy way to tell the story. I told him that I’d noticed Sandi was missing during the night and that we’d found her this morning. “I’m so sorry.”

He took it well. The only sign that he was upset was a tightening around his eyes and mouth. Of course he’d been a marine for many years. He probably wouldn’t break down and cry in front of us.

“What happened?” he asked, glancing at Kevin. “What was she doing outside during the storm anyway?”

Kevin introduced himself and shook Shawn’s hand. “We’re trying to figure that out. Everyone else was in the lobby, since we felt that was the safest place. We don’t know how she got outside.”

Shawn’s gaze flickered over us. “What are you saying? You mean someone might’ve taken

her outside? What aren’t you telling me? Exactly how did my wife die?”

At this point I thought it was a good idea to be a public official. “We don’t really know yet. EMS took her to the hospital. I’m sure they’ll do a full autopsy. All we know right now is that Sandi died during the night and we found her outside in a shed. Again, I’m so sorry. If there’s anything we can do—”

“Can I see her?” he asked.

“I’m sure you can, but they moved her to the hospital. I’m sorry.”

“What about her assistant?” Shawn asked. “She didn’t come here alone. Maybe her assistant knows something about what happened. Where is she?”

I didn’t know what to say. Sandi must’ve told him her assistant was a woman. This was going to get awkward very quickly. “Her assistant is in the bar, actually. We thought it would be best if he waited here until travel was better.”

“He?” Shawn’s blue eyes narrowed into slits. “What’s his name?”

“Matthew Wright,” I said, hoping that didn’t mean anything to him.