Night Waves (4 page)

Guilt injected itself into Cali’s thoughts, winding its way through her system to the point where she picked up her cell phone the next morning to call the sheriff and apologize. Her words spoken in anger last night had been unfair. It was not his fault Serena was missing, but Cali needed an outlet for her anger and frustration, and Nick Justice was a good target. Now, after a restless night of sleep, her conscience prodded her into punching in the numbers to the sheriff’s office, but she quickly snapped her cell phone shut before the first ring finished.

With a heavy groan, Cali grabbed her purse and headed out the door, knowing a sincere apology sounded better when given face to face. An unexpected sense of anticipation in seeing Sheriff Justice again sent her pulse into overdrive before even making it to her car.

Considering ways to apologize as she drove a few miles north on the beach road, she decided a long drawn out apology was uncalled for and settled for a quick, Sorry about what I said last night. Why she had to rehearse it in her head several times, she could not figure out. How hard could it be to say she was sorry? And why did her pulse rate increase as she approached the office?

By the time she pulled into the parking lot, her nerves had unraveled, and she almost turned around. Almost. The only thing keeping her from leaving was the fact that she had spent over two hours the night before, after Sheriff Justice left the motel, writing detailed notes about Serena that she thought might be helpful in the investigation. She only hoped Sheriff Justice had been serious when he said he would take the time to read them.

She pulled three pages of notes out of her purse and headed inside the office, trying to ignore the overwhelming humidity that greeted her every time she set foot outside.

A deputy she hadn’t seen before opened the door to leave the office as she approached. The nearly bald, stocky man tipped his head in greeting and held the door open.

“Thanks.” She walked in and found the entire office empty, except for the dispatcher, who looked up from her desk with a warm smile.

“Morning.”

“Hello, I’m…”

“Ms. Stevens. I remember you,” the woman said with a relaxed country drawl. “I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself yesterday because we were so busy. The full moon seems to rile people up something awful. Anyway, I’m so sorry about your friend being missing and all.” She held out a hand full of plump fingers. “I’m Helen H.”

“Helen H.?” Cali tilted her head slightly, and shook the offered hand. She expected a gentle grip, but the woman surprised her with a firm shake.

“Yes. The H. stands for Huckleberry. But, I got tired of being razzed about my name. I put up with the jokes for too long, ever since way back in fifth grade. I finally got fed up with it and then…well, I’ve been telling people to call me Ms. H. for years now. But, feel free to call me Helen,” she said with a mixture of humor and warmth in her voice.

“All right, Helen,” Cali agreed, returning the smile.

The phone rang and Helen held up a finger. “Just a minute.”

Cali turned to give her privacy and looked around the waiting area. Two doors to the left led to offices. One office was the sheriff’s; she didn’t know who claimed the other one. To the right of Helen’s desk, an open door led to a long hallway. Cali took a step to the side to peek down the passageway, and several sets of steel bars came into view. She gave an involuntary shudder. Thinking about being trapped inside one of those cells roused her dormant claustrophobia and made her back away until the cells were no longer in sight.

“Don’t worry, Ms. Stevens. The sheriff’s not likely to lock you up in one of them cells. Unless you break a law or two, of course.” Helen hung up the phone and leaned her elbows on the tall front desk. She nudged a plate of coffee cake toward Cali. “You look like you haven’t eaten much lately. Please, have a slice.”

Cali was about to decline, but the hopeful look on the woman’s face changed her mind. She picked up a piece and took a bite. The cinnamon sugar melted in her mouth. “This is delicious.”

“Thanks. Sometimes I get the notion to bake, and I’ll bring in something for my boys now and then.”

“Your boys?”

Affection filled Helen’s smile. “Yeah. The sheriff and his deputies. Of course, you’ve met the sheriff and talked with Deputy Owen. The one you passed by on your way in was Deputy Castle. All together, there are seven of them. Course, you won’t see them all here during the day, seeing how they work different shifts.”

Cali would hardly call Sheriff Justice or Deputy Castle boys, but she kept her opinion to herself. She finished the small slice of coffee cake and dusted the crumbs from her fingers. “Speaking of the sheriff. Is he here? I have something to give him.”

“No. Sorry. He’s out on a call. But I’ll be happy to give it to him for you.” She extended a hand toward the papers Cali held.

Disappointment rushed through her. “You can give him these.” She handed the detailed notes to Helen. “But you can’t give him the other thing I came here to give him.”

Helen’s weathered-green eyes sparkled as her lips turned up into a mischievous grin. “And just what would that be?”

Cali felt a blush rise at how her statement must have sounded. “An apology.”

“Ahh.” Helen’s grin faded into a serious expression. “Well, I don’t know what you’re sorry about, but if you have an apology to make, I admire you for wanting to tell him in person. But, you’ll have to wait. You see, the call he’s out on might take a while. When Old Man Kingsley takes a notion to get riled up about something, he takes some time getting cooled down. And Sheriff Justice is the only one who can do the calming. He has a certain finesse about him, you know.”

Helen folded the papers Cali had given her and stuffed them into a white envelope. She scribbled something on the front before licking the envelope closed. “Seems this time the old man’s gotten himself all upset about the new speed bump they installed down at the old general store. And when he gets upset, he pulls out his shotgun and lets everyone in his neighborhood know about it.” Helen shook her head, her fluffy, gray hair bouncing lightly. “I tell you, if it ain’t one thing it’s another.”

The thought of an irate man waving a shotgun at Sheriff Justice made Cali’s heart skid, and she swallowed. “I suppose the sheriff’s used to handling situations like that…right?”

“Oh, yeah.” Helen waved absently. “Nick’s been through much worse situations before. He can handle it. Don’t worry. He’ll be back to look for your missing friend.”

“Oh, I didn’t mean…” Cali took a deep breath and let it out. “I just…I’d hate to see anything happen to him.”

“Ahh. I see.” The woman’s grin returned in full force.

Cali cleared her throat and edged toward the door. “I mean…well, you know. I’d hate to see any officer hurt in the line of duty. Or off duty. Or anytime.” She wondered what kind of fool Helen must think of her now. Deciding she had done enough damage, she said, “I’d better get going. Thanks for breakfast.”

“Sure thing. Oh, and Ms. Stevens…”

“Call me Cali.”

“OK Cali. Nick’s a good man. Honest. Trustworthy. You can rely on him to do what’s necessary to find your friend.”

“That’s good to know. Thanks.” She stepped outside and slid on her sunglasses, wondering if she would ever be able to have as much faith in the sheriff as Helen did.

Night Waves

Cali had every intention of driving to various tourist attractions and asking if anyone had remembered seeing Serena. The Coral Isle Aquarium made the top of her list, considering how Serena had always had a fascination with marine life. But, as Cali drove along the main road, a red flag on the beach caught her eye. She recognized it as a warning that no swimming was allowed, probably due to a strong rip current. It gave her an idea, and she made a U-turn at the next light, heading straight back to the cottage that Sheriff Justice had warned her to stay clear of last night.

Her heart pounded as she pulled into an open parking spot next to the cottage. She scolded herself for letting the sheriff’s warning intimidate her. He was not willing to share his evidence with her, so what was she supposed to do? Sit back and do nothing? Not a chance.

Cali pulled her hair back into a haphazard ponytail, stuffed a picture of Serena into her pocket and stepped out. The sweltering heat hit her again, making her glad she had chosen to wear a tank top along with a pair of lightweight shorts. She locked her car, pocketed the keys and headed for the beach.

A breeze collided with her at the top of the protective sand dunes, cooling her already damp skin. To the left, she spotted five lifeguard stands spaced out evenly along the beach before a long fishing pier cut off the view. To the right, another four stands lined the beach. Each had a red flag posted nearby. The ocean did not look ominous to her, but Cali assumed the lifeguards must consider the undertow to be at a dangerous level.

She removed her flip-flops, picked them up and headed to the first lifeguard stand. Lord, please let somebody remember seeing Serena.

“Hello,” Cali called out as she approached the lifeguard perched on the stand. A splatter of pimples adorned the young woman’s face, and Cali guessed her to be no older than a teenager. She wore her dark hair pulled back into a bun at the nape of her neck, a one-piece solid red swimsuit and a whistle around her neck, which made her appear confident and official despite her young age. Cali wondered how much experience a teenager could possibly have, and how much help the girl would turn out to be.

The lifeguard straightened, looking at Cali with wide, curious brown eyes. “Is something wrong?” She scanned the ocean as she stood, and picked up a rescue buoy, ready to take action.

“No.” Cali redirected the anxious lifeguard’s attention. “I’m just looking for a friend.” She pulled the picture of Serena out of her pocket and handed it to the girl.

“Oh.” Her features relaxed. She waved the picture around without looking at it. “This is my second day out here alone. Until yesterday, I’ve been in training. I’d sure hate to run into a problem this soon.”

“What’s your name?”

“Anna.”

“Anna, I’m Cali Stevens. My friend…” she indicated the picture.

“Oh, yes.” Anna blushed and giggled. “Sorry.” She looked at the picture. “I haven’t noticed her out here today. What’s she wearing?”

“She’s been missing since Friday. I don’t know what she was wearing, or even when she was out here.” Cali’s hopes deflated. How could she expect to find help without even having the basic details? “She rented a nearby cottage last week, and I’m sure she came out to the beach at least a few times.”

“Oh, I’m sorry; I can’t help you. All last week I was stationed with Chad. We were only in this area for a day or two, but mostly we were down at number nine.”

“Number nine?” Cali peered across the length of the beach.

“Yeah. It’s the stand way down there. The last one you can see.” She pointed to the right. “Chad’s a full-timer. He even has the power to arrest people, and get this…he was my mentor for all of last month.” Anna’s slight blush deepened. “He’s totally cool.”

Cali wondered if Anna had a crush on her ‘totally cool’ mentor. “So you’re not assigned to the same place each day you work?”

Anna shook her head. “Nope. We rotate shifts on each of the nine stands. That way we don’t get bored.”

Cali didn’t understand how changing stands could possible affect boredom levels. The sand, tourists and ocean all looked the same no matter which stretch of the beach she looked at.

Anna must have seen her confusion. “It’s not the same.” She pointed to the left. “See over there. From that station, we have to keep an eye on a sandbar out about fifty yards. People go out there and think they can touch bottom, then a wave comes and they can’t touch anymore. Sometimes they panic. I’ve seen it happen for real.” Anna pointed to the right. “See over there. The bottom drops out much quicker than over here, where I’m responsible for. This is the easiest station. I guess that’s why Chad put me here first.” She shrugged and scanned the ocean again.

“I didn’t realize how involved it all is. Your parents must be proud.” Cali hoped to boost the girl’s ego, in order to get as much information from her as possible.

Anna turned to her and beamed. “They are kinda proud.”

A radio resting on the lifeguard stand crackled, and Anna reached for it. A woman’s voice spoke over the line, “Better watch the waves kiddo. You don’t want to get caught not paying attention.” Anna jumped and set down the radio as if it had burned her to touch it. She looked to the left.

The lifeguard in the next stand was watching them with her arms crossed. Cali assumed the older woman must be assigned to look out for the new kid and keep her in line.

“Sorry. Didn’t mean to get you in trouble. I’ll get going.”

Anna didn’t pry her eyes from the ocean as she said, “Sorry I couldn’t help you.”

“I need Serena’s picture back.”

Anna sneaked a peek at the picture again. “I’ll keep looking out for her. If I see her how do I reach you?”

“If you see her, call the sheriff’s office.” Cali took the picture from the girl and slid it into her pocket. “Thanks.” She headed to the next stand to the right, intentionally avoiding the temperamental lifeguard who’d caught her talking to Anna.

She wove her way around dozens of tourists who appeared to be enjoying the sun and sand, and cautiously approached the next lifeguard, hoping to find a more experienced person guarding this area of the beach. When she walked to the stand, she found a red-headed young man, guessing him to be in his late teens or early twenties.

“Afternoon, ma’am. May I help you?” he asked as he rubbed a handful of lotion on his freckled arms.

“I hope so.”

The young man sat forward with a smile. “I hope so, too.”

His words sounded sincere, and Cali’s hopes raised a notch. “I’m Cali Stevens and I’m looking for my friend, Serena Taylor. She may have been out here a few times last week. Have you seen her?” She produced the picture.

He stood and jumped from the stand, stretching as if he had been immobile for a few hours. “I’m Trey.” He nodded a greeting. “Let me take a look at her.”

As he moved closer, Cali caught the scent of the sun block he was applying. It didn’t have the typical coconut aroma. Instead, it held the strong, fruity scent of limes.

“What’s her name again?” he asked as he leaned over the picture and continued rubbing the lotion in.

“Serena.”

“I’m pretty good at remembering faces, but I don’t remember seeing her around here lately. Why are you looking for her?”

“I haven’t been able to get in touch with her since last Friday.”

Trey glanced toward the ocean, then cupped his hands around his mouth and yelled, “Hey buddy! No swimming.”

Cali turned in time to see a tall, lanky man starting to wade into the water. He stopped and turned, but did not come out. He appeared to be trying to decide if he would listen to Trey’s warning or not.

Trey glanced at his watch. “I’ll give him thirty seconds.” He crossed his arms and continued to watch the would-be swimmer.

“What happens if he doesn’t listen to you?”

“I make him listen,” he said in a serious tone.

Cali hesitated at the authority in Trey’s voice. Apparently, he took his job seriously. She waited a moment before asking, “Why are the no swimming flags posted anyway?”

“There’s a tropical storm brewing off the coast, causing strong rip currents. The storm’s stagnant right now. But, they say it may turn into a hurricane and head this way,” Trey said as he continued to watch the stubborn man standing in the water. “You never know which direction the storms will end up going.”

After several glances to the lifeguard, the man stepped out of the water, but remained standing close to the edge.

“I thought so,” Trey mumbled as he visibly relaxed.

“I didn’t know there was even a possibility of a hurricane coming.”

“It’s still off a ways. Too early to tell.”

Assuming Trey had no useful information about Serena, she started to step away. “Well, I don’t want to interrupt your job, so I’ll get going.”

Before he could respond, the sound of a vehicle approaching caught their attention. Trey held up a hand in greeting and stepped toward an all terrain vehicle as it slowed to a stop. The driver of the ATV looked to be in his mid-twenties, and his red swim trunks and black whistle indicated his position as a lifeguard. His tangled, sun-bleached blonde hair contrasted with his deep, bronzed tan. His appearance reminded Cali of the cross between a beach bum and a surfer.

“Hey Trey, are you using up all of my lotion? When are you going to start remembering to bring your own?” he asked when Trey rubbed on a little more lotion.

“Probably never,” he said with a sheepish grin.

“Hello.” The man got off the vehicle and approached Cali. “I’m Chad.” He held out a hand in greeting.

“Cali.” She offered her hand. His grip was firm, but his skin felt softer than she anticipated on a man who obviously spent much time outside.

He tilted his head to the side. “Are you distracting another one of my lifeguards?”

She tensed.

His smile showed a set of even white teeth. “Don’t worry. When I put Shelly in charge of watching over Anna, she decided to take her job a little too seriously.”

Trey asked, “Is Shelly tattle-tailing again?”

“Yep.” Chad looked at Cali, but a slow smile grew on his face. “Don’t worry; I’m not as strict as they’d have you believe. So, what’s going on?” He lifted an arm and leaned against Trey’s lifeguard stand.

“Are you in charge out here? The leader…” Cali felt warmth crawl up her already heated skin. “I mean the head lifeguard?”

Chad lifted his sunglasses and secured them on his head. “Something like that, yeah.” His bright, teasing grin returned, and his green eyes sparkled.

No wonder Anna has a crush on him. He probably has all the teenaged girls drooling over him. “I’m looking for my friend.” She held out Serena’s picture. “Have you seen her?”

Chad stepped closer, the same lime scent radiated around him. He started to take the picture, but stopped when Trey yelled again, this time with the help of a bullhorn.

“Get out of the water now!” Trey glanced at Chad and added, “Sir.”

The lanky fellow, who’d had a hard time following Trey’s orders, was now swimming out into the ocean.

“I said no swimming!” Trey’s agitation showed through his voice.

“I’ve got it,” Chad said, grabbing the red buoy and removing his sunglasses. He took off in a sprint to the water, drawing many curious gazes. A few minutes later, he came out, dragging the stubborn, sputtering man alongside him.

They exchanged a few heated words before the man packed his belongings and left the beach. Chad ambled back, swiping the remaining water droplets from his face. He headed straight for Cali. “If there’s one thing I won’t tolerate, it’s people not doing what we tell them to do. Now, about this friend of yours.”

“Oh, yes.” The smell of salty ocean water now mixed with his fruity lotion scent. Uncomfortable at how close he stood, she held the picture out and stepped back at the same time, hoping he wouldn’t notice her retreat.

“I don’t recognize her, but I can show this picture around if you’d like.” Chad started to take the picture.

She pulled it back and tucked it into her pocket. “I only have the one copy.” She felt renewed heat consume her cheeks. “I know I should’ve made extras to leave with people, but I came here in a hurry. I’m desperate to find her.”

Chad appeared to consider her words. “I can give you a ride to each of my stands.” He walked to the ATV and sat on it. The water from his wet swimsuit pooled on the black vinyl seat. He patted the area behind him. “We can see if anyone in my team has seen her.”

Hopping on an ATV and riding behind Chad may have appealed to someone like Anna, but Cali had no intentions of putting her arms around, and holding onto, a stranger’s muscular abs. “I appreciate it, but I’d rather walk.” She took a breath and added, “It’s good exercise.”

Chad watched her carefully. Instead of insisting, he said, “Good luck to you then.” He started the ATV and nodded at her, then at Trey before continuing along the beach.

She turned to Trey, who had positioned himself back onto his assigned post. “Thanks anyway. It was nice to meet you.”

The young redhead nodded. “You too, Cali. I hope you find her.”

“So do I,” she said, but her hopes had already begun to diminish, and her level of frustration multiplied.

The day grew warmer with each passing minute, and Cali wondered how long she would be able to tolerate the high temperatures as she trudged along the beach. She slipped her flip-flops back on, trying to avoid the sting of the burning sand.

Doubts flooded her mind, and Cali wondered if she had wasted her time. What are the chances a lifeguard who sees hundreds of people every day would
remember Serena anyway?

She stopped, closed her eyes and took a moment to pray. Lord, lead me to the right place…please! I haven’t had any luck yet, and I need direction from You. What do I do? Where do I go?

She opened her eyes and looked around. The only thing she noticed, that she hadn’t before, was a set of hungry seagulls circling overhead, and a group of sandpipers greedily poking their beaks into the sand in search of food. She sighed. “What did you expect? A huge sign pointing from the sky saying ‘look here Cali’?”

She stepped around an older couple who sat close together, sharing a large beach towel. The woman spoke up, “You know the heat’s getting to you when you start talking to yourself. Maybe you ought to head inside and get a drink before you start hallucinating, too.” The woman’s tender, grandmotherly smile reminded Cali of her own grandmother.