A Spirited Gift

But there didn’t seem to be any way to get out of the situation. I needed a shower and a nap—maybe a good, stiff mocha or something stronger. Everything made me jumpy. Nothing felt normal.

I was glad to see Chief Michaels’s patrol car in the drive outside the Blue Whale. I walked a little faster, knowing he would have some resolution to our problems. The whole thing with Matthew weighed heavily on me. I wanted someone else to make a judgment on the strange circumstances and take control of the situation.

And he’d done exactly that. As I walked in, Officer Tim Mabry was walking out with Matthew in handcuffs. Tim nodded to me but didn’t speak. When there were handcuffs involved, he was always focused. He didn’t have an opportunity to use them that often. I was glad Chief Michaels wanted to keep an eye on Sandi’s assistant.

He wanted to talk to me too. “If you don’t mind, Mayor,” he said. “I’d like to hear what you have to say.”

“There’s no one in the kitchen,” Kevin told him.

“That sounds fine. Thanks. After you, ma’am.” The chief held the door for me.

I hoped, as I repeated my account of the previous night’s events, that this time would be the last I’d have to say it. I also hoped the retelling would somehow make me feel better—less guilty for not noticing sooner that Sandi was gone. I felt like it was my job as the hostess of the group to make sure none of my guests were injured or killed.

Chief Michaels nodded as I spoke. He wrote what I said in his little notebook.

I’d known him all of my life. He was good friends with Gramps, who was the former sheriff. They’d worked together for many years. Gramps had recommended Chief Michaels for the job of Duck police chief. But unlike Gramps, who’d always been casual and laid-back, Chief Michaels was like an old drill sergeant with his graying flattop and perfectly pressed uniform. Even having been out after the storm doing cleanup, he wasn’t dirty. His usually shiny black patent leather shoes were a little scuffed and sandy. Maybe he’d gone home and changed before he came here.

“I hear you telling me the everyday things,” he said. “Now what about the not-so-normal things? I know you, Dae. Anything unusual—anything you picked up with your gift?”

Chief Michaels, like so many other residents of Duck, took my gifts for granted, most of the time. Once in a while, I went beyond the edge of what his good sense told him was possible. But his Banker roots made him pay attention to the unusual.

Since I still had custody of the ruby ring and the broken key chain, I laid them both on the table between us. Marissa gave the chief the key I’d found earlier that was for Matthew’s car.

“This is Sandi’s ring and Matthew’s key chain.” I explained what I knew about them—what I felt from them and how they had played a part in finding Sandi’s body.

He nodded. “I see. So you have the impression that this young man—her assistant—might be responsible for what happened to her.”

“I don’t know. Maybe. He felt angry enough, and her fear was strong enough. But I can’t explain why she was outside.”

“Of course not, ma’am. And I’m not asking you to. Just your impressions. The rest we’ll have to leave to the medical examiner. I have a rush on Mayor Foxx’s autopsy results. Until we know something—in the next forty-eight hours, I hope—I’m holding Mr. Wright in custody. I don’t want him wandering away in case the death turns out not to be accidental.”

“I see.”

“What about Mayor Foxx’s husband? Do you know anything about him?”

“Not really. I picked up a few things from talking to Sandi the last couple years. There were a few times we bumped into each other. Otherwise, I don’t know him. Why? Do you think he was involved?”

“I don’t know yet.” He put on some latex gloves and sealed the ring, the key and key chain into an evidence bag. “I suppose you weren’t able to see where the gun in your vision ended up?”

“No. I’m afraid not. But I don’t see how Shawn could be involved in Sandi’s death. What about the storm? He was all the way in Manteo.”

“Let’s just say it wouldn’t be the most extreme thing I’ve heard of a man doing who suspected his wife was having an affair.” Chief Michaels put on his uniform hat. “Thank you for your help, Mayor. By the way, I saw your grandfather a few hours back. He said your house made it through without much damage. Just thought you might want to know.”

“Thanks for telling me, Chief. I’m sorry about all of this—you had enough to handle with the storm and all.”

“Not your fault. You can’t help what people do. Ask your grandpa. He’ll tell you the same.”

I nodded, knowing it was true but still feeling I could’ve done something that would’ve kept Sandi from dying. I was relieved that the investigation was now in his hands. Holding Matthew against his will and being responsible for what could be evidence of Sandi’s murder had been a burden. Now I could just cope with the leftovers of the storm.