Echoes of the Past (15 page)

“I don’t either, but interviewing the professor is
on my list of things to do. As far as the victims go, it’s even possible they
made it safely to shore and died anyway—a sort of delayed reaction. Some people
die of post rescue collapse, that’s the fourth stage, but since the heads were
still immersed in the pictures I saw, I’ll focus on the first three stages.
Now, if for some reason they were dead or near death when they went into the
water, I’ll know that too. As I said earlier, nobody just drowns anymore.”

* * * *

Unable to tear his gaze away, Tony watched the
mayor and his lady-friend as they ordered drinks—a bottle of chilled wine—and
their food. She cleaned her plate as Ron did, and now they were just finishing a
chocolate concoction. He observed the server pour tea. When Ron reached for the
woman’s hand, a sudden pang of jealousy stabbed him, making him choke on the
mouthful of beer he’d just swallowed.

She turned to get something out of her purse, and
Tony saw her clearly for the first time. Anger unlike anything he’d ever felt
before flooded him. He was as furious as he’d been the previous afternoon when
he’d visualized strangling the mayor, more so. Now it was the woman he wanted
in his grip. His heart pounded, and he felt his veins and arteries dilating as
blood poured through them, heating his body beyond his comfort zone. His
breathing increased, and if he hadn’t put down the mug, he was certain it would
have exploded in his hand because of the strength of his grip on the glass.

Tomorrow afternoon. The Mohawk maiden had known
the truth and had come to warn him. She might have been the one in his dreams,
but she hadn’t been the one on the beach. That son of a bitch knew exactly who
the mysterious woman Tony had been seeing on the beach was. The bastard was
having lunch with her!

Ron and the woman seemed relaxed with one another,
like old friends would be. Tony didn’t think she could be Ron’s wife. He hadn’t
heard the mayor was married, but Ron was being far more attentive than Tony had
seen his colleagues behave toward their wives. That attention proved she wasn’t
his sister either. No; this was a luncheon date, one Tony intended to make Ron
Davies regret and use as leverage to get the mayor to at least consider his
findings. At least a dozen people had gone over there, talked to the mayor and
the woman, and no one had acted strangely, so whoever she was, she didn’t set
off any bells for anyone but himself. There was no way Ron could say she didn’t
exist—too many people had seen her. A sudden thought crossed his mind. Could
the whole damn island be in on the scam?
Now,
I’m just being paranoid.

Ever since talking to Jackson last night, the
whole lack of an alibi ate at him. Now, just like that, his alibi sat across
from Ron Davies. She might not look Mohawk, but he’d bet his last dollar she
was.
She’s as real as I am, not Joseph’s two-hundred-year-old
ghost.

Tony wondered why the mayor was here in the first
place. Why take a chance on being seen in public with her? Hadn’t he considered
Tony might show up here? Why wasn’t he waiting for the provincial forensic
pathologist who was supposed to be arriving today? It was true the weather
hadn’t cleared—if anything, it was as nasty out there now as it had been.
Something about a stalled weather front, but it wouldn’t be enough to delay the
coroner’s arrival, would it?

Tony took another mouthful of beer to wash down
the last of the burger he’d had for lunch and the anger and resentment blocking
his throat. He watched Ron in earnest conversation with the woman. He heard her
carefree laugh, and he seethed.

What are
they plotting and scheming? Are they trying to figure out the best way to use
me as a patsy? Ron said he needed to find a way to spin this—is it going to be
at my expense?

The longer Tony stared at the couple, the more
irate he became. How many people were in on the plan? Ron had seemed pretty
chummy with most of the people he’d spoken to. Why did the man refuse to
believe there could be serious drug problems on this island? Tony was sure some
of the cornfields he’d seen would make perfect hiding spots for marijuana
plants too.

Tony watched Ron laugh at something the woman had
said, and the jealousy he’d felt earlier returned with a vengeance. Maybe he
should just go over to the table and introduce himself. Since she’d been out on
the beach Thursday night, she’d probably seen him come running out of his
cabin. She was the corroborating evidence he needed to prove he hadn’t done
anything wrong.

Was that what this date was all about? Was Ron
making sure she wouldn’t tell the truth while he railroaded Tony into somehow
taking the blame for the deaths of his students? Would he actually accuse him
of killing them? Tony had to talk to the woman and get her to tell the
truth—throw himself on her mercy. It was worth a try. That would throw a monkey
wrench in whatever plans Ron was cooking up.

Ron wouldn’t be pleased to know he’d been caught
in the act, and the jig was definitely up. If the woman had been hired to walk
the beach and pretend to be a ghost to attract tourists, it was just wrong. It
was as dishonest as seeding a gold mine. While some people liked to believe in
ghosts and legends—they didn’t like being duped.

He stood, tossed a twenty-dollar bill on the bar
to cover his lunch, and walked into the dining room. His emotions were raw,
barely kept in check. He felt as if someone else had taken over his heart and
soul. As he approached, he saw the woman’s face clearly. He knew every inch of it.
He could describe the soft texture of her skin. He’d kissed every inch of it—in
his dreams. Was that why the maiden had appeared in the kitchen? Was she as
upset as he was that someone was impersonating her?

He knew the moment the mayor saw him. The ice in
his eyes might have killed a lesser man than Tony. There was anger there and
something else—jealousy? Tony blinked and all he saw was the man’s smug smile.

I’m going to
wipe that smile of your face right now, you son of a bitch!

He walked right up to the table and stopped in
front of the woman. He saw her confusion before it was replaced by the
unmistakable look of recognition in her eyes. His breath caught in his throat.
She was far more beautiful in person than in his dreams, and his body responded
to her nearness—not something that pleased him. Her face was clear, devoid of
the heavy makeup most women wore. He hadn’t imagined the side part and the
bangs, but they suited her. She looked tired and he felt a tiny flash of guilt
at putting her on the spot like this, but his life and reputation were at
stake. No matter what, he had to find the source of the poisons, and the truth
about what had happened to his students.

So she knows
who I am. That’ll make it easier. Let’s see what she has to say for herself.

“Hello, we haven’t been introduced, but I’m Tony
Steele. I’ve watched you walk up and down that beach for the last nine weeks. I
know you’ve seen me too. I just saw it in your eyes. You recognized me. It’s a
tough thing to hide. I’ve got to say, I don’t know what you and Ron are cooking
up, but you’d almost made a believer out of me.”

The look of shock and disbelief on her face made
him want to laugh and he chuckled.

“This morning, I was ready to buy into the whole ghost
thing. Cindy Andrews, that tourist from Kingston who saw you last month,
believes you were a ghost. Paddling the canoe was a nice touch. I actually
think the woman will never have another glass of wine without seeing you on the
lake. I’ve only seen you on the beach. You’ll have to show me your bolt hole.
Now, we both know you’re not a ghost, you’re a fraud. I’m not sure what the two
of you are up to, but it ends here. I need to know why you’re doing this and
what you know about the break-in two weeks ago and the death of my students. And
let’s have the truth this time, shall we?”

The look on the woman’s face was priceless. She
was ghostly pale, stunned by his words and anger, no doubt. What did she
expect? She seemed to be at a loss for words. Her puzzled reaction was so
natural he had to give her credit for it.

She’s a hell
of an actress.

He turned to Ron, about to say as much, when the
man surprised him—Ron burst out laughing as if he’d just heard the world’s
funniest joke.

“Michelle, this is the man we were just
discussing. Let me introduce Professor Anthony Steele.” Ron wiped away at the
tears in his eyes.

“What’s so damn funny? Why the hell were you
discussing me?”

“Because, Professor, we were talking about the
case. Please allow me to introduce Dr. Michelle Thomas from the Provincial Coroner’s
Office. She’s been in Thunder Bay until two days ago. She arrived on the
island,” he checked his watch, “just over three hours ago. I can guarantee you
haven’t seen her walking on the beach.”

“That isn’t possible. She recognized me. I saw it
in her eyes. She’s the woman I’ve seen. What the hell are you trying to pull?”

“I can assure you Dr.
Steele,
I’m not trying to pull anything.”

The words were barely audible, but the ice in her
tone chilled him. What the hell was going on here? She reached into the pocket
of her coat, pulled out her identification, and handed it to him. He looked at
the gold badge and the picture identification. Son of a bitch! He’d just made a
first-class fool out of himself. His anger vanished, and he was filled with
shame and remorse. How the hell was he going to fix this? She’d never listen to
him now. Once she’d started to speak, the woman’s annoyance took over.

“I recognized you from the profile my boss,
Ontario Chief Coroner Dr. Colin Sanders gave me. Mayor Davies and I have been
discussing the case among other things. Since they were your students, your
name came up. I can assure you I have neither been paddling canoes nor walking
along the beach here. As Ron has just said, I’ve spent the last three months
working a murder case in Thunder Bay. You can check with the PCO if you don’t
believe me. I’ll give you the number.”

Tony’s brain fought to make sense of things.
Despite everything happening, his libido was convinced it was the woman he’d
made love to, and in addition to everything else, he feared his rising to the
occasion might be noticed. He stared into her brown eyes flecked with gold—the
eyes he remembered and took a deep breath.

“My apologies, doctor. You bear a striking
resemblance to the woman I’ve seen. Do you have a twin, a cousin, a sister in
the area? Why would they send you here to look after this case if you’ve just
gotten back from such a time-consuming one?”

She swallowed, and he could see she was making an
effort to control her emotions.

“Not that it’s any of your business, but Liam
Moorcroft and my employer have a history. They need the truth, and I’m the best
there is at finding out what happened when someone has died due to immersion.
Perhaps you and I can speak of this later.”

Tony stared at her. She was upset and doing her
best to hide it.

Why wouldn’t
she be upset? I accused her of being a fraud, for God’s sake.

She stood. In his mind, her clothes fell away, and
she was naked once more. His fingers itched to undo her braid.
What the hell is happening to me?

“Ron, I’d like to get back to my car now. I have
work to do. Can we go?” Her voice was firm, but the underlying current of
emotion remained.

Ron jumped up, as solicitous as Tony had seen him
be all day. Of course he was being considerate. She was the bloody coroner. She
would figure out what had happened. Obviously, Ron wanted her on his side, and
Tony had just stepped in it big time.

“Of course, Michelle.
I’ll go pay the bill.”

“I’ll meet you outside.”

She reached for her jacket and walked away from
the table without giving Tony another look. He felt as if he’d just lost
something of great importance—the way he’d felt when he’d seen the girl drown
last night.
What the hell do I do now?

* * * *

Michelle walked across the dining room as quickly
as she could aware, each step of the way, of Tony’s gaze following her out of
the room. She entered the woman’s washroom, went into a stall, closed and
locked the stall door, and sat down on the toilet. She started to shake. She
lowered her head between her knees praying she wouldn’t faint. What had just
happened? She hadn’t recognized him at first. He’d cut his hair, but his
aquamarine eyes, filled with anger and disdain, seared a path to her heart.

The accusations he’d levelled at her had stunned
her.
What the hell’s been going on here?
It hadn’t been easy to control her emotions and answer his charges, especially
with Ron watching their interplay so closely. There was definitely bad blood
between the two men. So far, Ron had been nothing but a gentleman, while
Professor Steele had acted like some kind of crazed maniac. If the man was
unbalanced, he could easily be responsible for his students’ deaths.

One of these men was supposed to be her mate.
Which one? Right now, Ron seemed like a much better proposition. How much could
she count on The Three Sisters for help? The photograph of Tony Steele had
reminded her more of her dream lover than Ron did, but with his hair cut short,
the similarity vanished. What did they say? Close only counted in horseshoes
and hand grenades? It counted here too. How would she get her mate’s help if she
couldn’t figure out who he was?
Don’t
trust your senses. Trust your heart.

When Tony approached the table, the sudden
jealousy and hatred in Ron’s eyes had shocked her. They’d been discussing the
professor only moments before. Ron had suggested several ways Tony might be
responsible for the deaths, and as much as he tried to discredit Tony, she
wasn’t convinced any of his suppositions were true. Now, after that scene, she
was more befuddled than ever. Tony Steele might be a lot of things—possibly
even unhinged based on his recent performance—but…Seeing Tony unexpectedly and being
verbally attacked by him like that had come as a shock. It certainly hadn’t
been the way she’d expected their first meeting to go.