*Wednesday
The afternoon sun beamed through the wall of windows overlooking Crackatuxet Cove. Kyra blinked, getting her bearings, trying to place where she was. She sighed when she remembered. She’d refused to stay in the hospital, and the doctors only agreed to let her go home because Detective Collins promised to stay with her. Pushed beyond exhaustion and numb from the pain meds, she didn’t have the strength to argue when Tarek tucked her into her father’s bed. He had seemed reluctant to let her out of his sight.
Kyra sat up. Her muscles objected, and she sucked in a breath, wincing at the sharp pain in her side. She had two cracked ribs. Her left shoulder throbbed, and everything else felt stiff and bruised. Tarek was snoozing on the couch, Cronk stretched out on his chest. Kyra made a soft noise to the cat, jealous they were cozied up together. Cronkite lifted his head and yawned.
Tarek’s eyelids fluttered, then popped open. He twisted his head. “You’re awake.”
He was at her side in an instant. “How do you feel?”
“All right,” she rasped.
He disappeared into the bathroom and returned with a glass of water. She gulped it down. “Thank you.” Her voice already felt less scratchy. She attempted a smile.
“You’ve been asleep for most of the day.” He checked his watch. “How’s your shoulder?”
“It hurts, but not so bad,” she lied.
“I bet.”
“How did you find us?” Kyra asked, her eyes welling up.
Tarek pulled a chair up to the side of the bed. He stared out at the cove. “After you left the coffee shop, Chase hunted me down. He told me the whole story. Eventually, we figured it out that it must have been Adele. She knew about the crawl space, and she’d lied about when she arrived on the island. She was with Brody, on The Island Pearl, before her husband arrived. We followed you to Menemsha, but by the time we got there, the Neamhnaid was already gone. At first, we thought Brody and Adele had used it to escape, then we found your car, but we couldn’t find you. We notified the Coast Guard, who prepared a search mission.
“They found Adele and Brody late last night refueling The Island Pearl in Nantucket. They were taken into custody, and Adele accused Brody of kidnapping her, of murdering Brendan and Ed. Once they told Brody Adele had turned on him, he told us everything, signed a confession, and agreed to testify. Adele intercepted calls between Wetun and the senator and found out about the bribes. She set up the offshore accounts and transferred the funds out of Brendan’s account. Wetun probably thought the senator received the money. When Brendan became suspicious, they watched him and learned he’d gone to your dad. She used what she knew to lure Ed to the boat, promising to share evidence she had of Phil accepting the bribes. She or Brody struck him and tossed him overboard.
“When they were unable to find Ed’s notes on his computer, she persuaded Brendan to go to the farm. They shot him and set the barn on fire using a fertilizer accelerant from Sara’s supply. They hid the gun in Chase’s room, hoping it’d be uncovered during a search. They set up Chase to take the blame for both murders.” Tarek turned to Kyra.
“But why?” Kyra’s voice was a whisper.
But she knew. She knew that Adele, rejected over and over, had finally been pushed past her breaking point. She wanted to be free of the family that didn’t want her. Adele saw an opportunity, and she took it.
Kyra swallowed. “Why Charlie?”
“Charlie was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Adele and Brody were in the middle of planting evidence in Chase’s equipment locker. Brody reacted. He hit her and stowed her on the boat. You’re lucky.” Tarek took her hand, ran his thumb along the bandage at her wrist.
“Chase had installed a GPS system on the Neamhnaid to help navigate during races. We located you by tracking the signal, but it shut off when the emergency system engaged.” Tarek’s face paled. “We couldn’t send a rescue party out until the storm subsided.” His voice caught. “We had a general idea of where the Neamhnaid was, and Chase knows these waters better than anyone. He calculated your drift direction based on the currents and wind speeds. Once the storm calmed, we were able to send out the search crew. Then we saw the flares.” Tarek turned back to her. The dark purple circles under his eyes somehow made them appear greener. “He saved your life.”
“Remind me to send a gift basket.”
Tarek huffed a laugh.
They were quiet for a few minutes.
Tears slid down her cheeks, and Tarek moved onto the bed. He held her while she cried against his chest. Kyra cried because she was safe, because she had survived. She cried for Charlie, for Chase and Brendan, even for Adele. She recognized herself in Adele’s anger, what she could have been, and murmured a soft thanks to her aunt, her rock, and her best friend. Tarek ran his fingers through her hair, soothing her.
Finally, when she had no more tears left, she pulled away. “What happens now?” she asked, her voice raw.
He sighed, stroking her back. “We’ve notified the FBI, who will take over the investigation into Wetun and Alonda. Another investigation will be opened to relook at the senator. Chase has been exonerated of both crimes, and the prosecutor is making a statement. Last I heard, the senator and Margot were going back to Washington.”
“What about Dr. Brian?”
“He left for the mainland after we spoke Sunday afternoon. He’s been in Washington this whole time.”
Tarek’s phone rang. He untangled himself and crossed the room back to the couch.
He answered it, talking quietly, then held the phone to his chest. “Are you up for some visitors?”
*
It took an hour. Twenty minutes of struggling on her own, fifteen minutes of arguing with Tarek, and twenty-five minutes of soul-destroying mortification after she accepted his help to get bathed and dressed. Finally, Kyra found herself on the couch in the living room in front of a roaring fire wrapped in blankets. Cronkite was snuggled in her lap, watching everything through one half-open eye.
“Knock, knock,” a voice said from the front door as it cracked open. “Can we come in?”
“Come in.” Tarek stood.
Grace fluttered into the room. “My dear girl.” She ran to Kyra and hugged her too hard. Kyra hissed through her teeth at the sharp pain. “Oh my.” Grace jumped back. “I’m so sorry.” She grabbed Kyra’s hands so tight her rings bit into Kyra’s skin. “Thank you. Thank you.” Tears welled in Grace’s eyes. “You saved my Charlie.”
“Oh, leave her alone, Grace.” Charlie rolled her eyes. “We had it under control the entire time.”
Tarek held her elbow. Bandages covered the cut on her forehead, and there were dark circles under her eyes, but she smiled and embraced Kyra—much gentler than Grace. Tarek helped her take a seat next to Kyra.
“She’s right, though, thank you. You saved my life.”
“We did it together.” Kyra squeezed Charlie’s hand.
Tarek told the Chamberses the story he’d shared with Kyra. When he finished, they sat in silence.
“We all owe that Hawthorn boy an apology,” Grace said, and kissed the back of Charlie’s hand. “He’s a hero.”
“That’s certainly how Margot’s spinning it,” Tarek said, his tone cynical.
Kyra made a face. Just days ago, Margot had been ready to throw her son to the wolves.
“Already?” Grace tsked and shook her head. She looked between her wife and Kyra. “We don’t want to stay too long. You both need your rest. Dear, I’m so glad we got to see you before your flight tomorrow.”
“I got your email,” Charlie whispered. “I’ll make sure the house is ready for you and your aunt’s family when you’re back in July.” Charlie gave Kyra’s hand another squeeze.
Grace bent to press her cheek against Kyra’s and helped Charlie to her feet.
“Oh, I’m so glad.” Grace beamed. “You’ll love the island in the summer. Come, my love, you’re heading back to bed.”
Charlie rolled her eyes and gave Kyra a tired grin.
“July?” Tarek asked, after he’d showed the Chamberses out. He leaned against the chimney his head cocked to the side.
Kyra raised her shoulder and winced. She hadn’t had a chance to tell him she was coming back. She hadn’t discussed it with anyone, except for the quick email she sent to Charlie Monday morning, letting her know she was postponing the sale. Indefinitely.
She bit into her lip and looked up at him. “I’ve put off selling the house. I’m planning on coming back this summer. For a holiday with my aunt and her family. Ali wants to show me the island.” Would he want to see her if she came back? “What do you think?”
His mouth hitched into that crooked smile, and he moved to sit beside her. Kyra’s heart thumped in her chest. Each beat a sharp reminder of her cracked ribs.
Tarek took her hand in his and pressed a soft kiss to the inside of her uninjured wrist. “I think I like that plan.”
Fin.
Thank you for reading A Chain of Pearls. I hope you enjoyed visiting Martha’s Vineyard with Kyra. I’m excited to share what trouble she and Tarek find themselves in next. If you are too, I invite you to check out The Wraith’s Return coming August 2024. A Chain of Pearls is my first book and I’ve much to learn. I thrive on feedback. Please tell me what you liked, loved, or even hated. You can write to me at raemi.ray@gmail.com and find me on my website at www.raemiray.com. Finally, I’ve small favor to ask. Please consider leaving a review. Reviews positive and negative are how readers find writers. You have my deepest gratitude.
Until the next ferry over ~ Raemi.