Long Islands and Larceny Read online

  “I didn’t consider that.” Holden said.

  Starla felt a little ping of something like disappointment in her gut, but she wasn’t sure why. Holden ordering for her was old-fashioned, sure, but it’s not like he meant to be rude.

  “I’m sorry, Starla. Next time I will ask first. Please don’t be mad.”

  Starla sighed and shrugged her shoulders. “Just don’t let it happen again.” An impish smile spread across her face, and Holden relaxed once he knew she was teasing.

  “Yes, Ma’am,” he said with a fake salute.

  It was then that Starla picked up on something in Holden’s voice and demeanor. Something was weighing on his mind, and she could tell that without her magical intuition.

  “What is it?” she asked.

  “What is what?”

  “There’s something on your mind,” Starla responded.

  “I don’t want to bother you with it. It’s work stuff,” Holden said as the waitress appeared and set their drinks down on the table.

  “Please, bother me,” she said before taking a sip.

  “Okay, if you’re sure you don’t mind?” he said and continued after Starla nodded yes. “We had a theft occur on the fourth floor at the resort last night. A very wealthy client had some valuable personal items taken from their room. The thief used a housekeeper’s master key to break into the room. Unfortunately for her, she’s the only suspect right now.”

  “Wow, that sucks. Are you going to fire her?”

  “I don’t want to do that. I’m hoping that something will turn up to exonerate her. She’s a single mother, and she needs the job. I hate firing anyone, but I can’t stand the thought of firing a single mom when she could very well be innocent. So, no, I haven’t fired her yet. I’m stressed out too, because we can’t deactivate the key. So someone out there has access to most of the areas of the hotel, including guest rooms.

  “You can’t kill it remotely?”

  “We usually can, but they glitch sometimes. We need the key to put in the scanner to deactivate that.”

  “Isn’t that dangerous?”

  “It is, so we’re going to reset all the locks in the hotel, but that takes time. We had to call in someone from the lock company. They’re flying in as soon as possible. Until then, I’m stepping up security in the hotel.”

  “What about the security footage? Do you have cameras in the hallways?”

  “We do, but there was some sort of static thing that happened when the thief entered that area. The cameras glitched before we got a good look at them. The sheriff took the footage and sent it to a specialist. Kane doesn’t know when he’ll get the results. Personal items taken from a hotel room don’t get priority when there are worse things going on in the world.”

  “What was taken?” A feeling of unease had filled Starla’s stomach. Something was off about the thefts and the static issues with the video cameras.

  “I didn’t get to see the police report, but Kane mentioned something about a timepiece and an ammonite fossil,” Holden said.

  “Ammonite? Those are like ancient nautiluses.” Starla perked up.

  “Yeah, I guess. Why?”

  “No reason. Just something I learned in science class,” Starla said as the waitress appeared with their tacos. “These look good.”

  She took a huge bite of her food before Holden could say anything else about her interest in the stolen fossil.

  “Mr. Grey?” A young man in khaki pants and a pale green button-down shirt walked up behind Holden and tapped him on the shoulder.

  “Oh, hello, Kurt. What’s up?” Holden asked.

  “The group checkin arrived early. I thought you would want to know,” Kurt said.

  “I have to go,” Holden said regretfully. “Thank you for joining me. Please stay and enjoy your lunch.”

  “I will. Thank you for the meal,” Starla said and Holden came around the table and took her hand. He kissed her knuckles lightly and then left with a quiet, “You’re welcome.”

  Starla didn’t stay and finish her food. The tacos were too spicy for her taste, and she had to speak with Kane.

  Chapter Three

  “Where are you?” Starla asked.

  She stood outside of the police station with her phone pressed to her right ear and her foot tapping impatiently. She’d hoped that Kane would be in his office, but no such luck. The receptionist had asked if Starla wanted her to track Kane down, but Starla had refused. “I’ll find him.” Of course, her only plan for finding him involved going outside and calling Kane.

  “Who wants to know?” Kane teased.

  “Kane, now is not the time for your unique sense of humor. I have something very important I need to discuss with you,” Starla said firmly.

  “Oh, of course. Let me drop everything I’m doing for my job, so I can have a discussion with Starla Shadowsend.”

  “You’re being a jerk,” Starla huffed.

  “You’re the one who called me while I am working and demanded that I tell you where I am. We haven’t even started dating yet, and you’re already well on your way to being my crazy ex.”

  “That’s not funny,” Starla said.

  “You’re right. I’m sorry, Starla. Do you want to meet somewhere?”

  “Only if you’ve got time.”

  “I do. Starla, I’ll always make time for you if I can,” Kane said. All the sarcasm was gone from his tone.

  Starla relaxed a little and instantly felt bad for coming at him with an attitude. It was just something about him that got under her skin. “I’m sorry too. I was rude. I’m at the station.”

  “Good, I needed to come back there anyway. I’ll see you soon.”

  Starla waited outside the sheriff’s station on a bench that sat in the shade of a giant palm tree. She could have gone back inside, but it was a beautiful day, and while the station didn’t have the best view of the ocean, there weren’t many tourists around. She could meditate to the sound of the nearby waves.

  She was half asleep when Kane’s cruiser pulled up. Starla hadn’t realized how tired she’d allowed herself to get. The job at the bar, Becky’s murder, two men vying for her attention, the issues with magic on the island, and trying to find a way to free Presto didn’t leave much time for relaxation and rest. Starla scolded herself internally for allowing it to get so far that she was falling asleep on a bench outside of the police station.

  “Starla, are you okay?” Kane’s brow was knit with concern when he stepped out of his car.

  “Yeah, I’m okay. Just a little sleepy is all. The sound of the waves is very relaxing.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  Kane walked over to the bench and bent down to take Starla’s hands. He stepped back and helped her to her feet.

  “Thank you,” she said and smiled.

  “You’re welcome, ma’am. Although, I should cite you for loitering. Trouble follows you everywhere you go,” Kane teased.

  “You’re a big jerk,” Starla said, but the tone of her voice didn’t reveal anything but a hint of playful fun.

  “I’m the head jerk around here. Would you like to step into my office?”

  “Sure,” Starla said. “Do you have any Diet Coke?”

  “I’ve got a few quarters and there’s a machine in the back,” Kane said as he opened the door for Starla.

  “Perfect.”

  “So, what did you come here to talk to me about?” Kane asked.

  “Diet Coke first.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  Starla waited in Kane’s office while he went to the back of the small station and grabbed a couple of sodas from the machine. It was Diet Coke for her and some brand of grape soda she’d never heard of for Kane.

  “So, what did you want to talk to me about?” Kane said as he sat down in his chair. He slid an ice cold can of soda across the desk to Starla and popped the top on his own.

  “I want to discuss the theft that took place at the resort,” Starla said.

  “You
know I can’t discuss that with you, Starla. That’s an ongoing investigation.”

  “I know that, but we’re friends right?” Starla offered him a toothy grin.

  “That’s not a good enough reason for me to break the law,” Kane said. The side of his mouth twitched a little, and Starla could see that he was on the verge of getting salty with her again.

  “The housekeeper that’s the only suspect is a single mom, Kane. I can’t stand the thought of her being fired or arrested.”

  “Did you ever consider that maybe she did it?” Kane asked. “Perhaps she got desperate.”

  Starla pursed her lips. She thought for sure that Holden would have said something if he thought there was even a chance the housekeeper was guilty. It was pretty obvious that Holden didn’t think she’d done it, so Starla believed the same.

  “What evidence do you have that she did it? What about the security video? Are you going to arrest her?”

  “Whoa, Starla, slow down,” Kane said softly. “I understand that you want to protect this woman, but I really can’t tell you anything.”

  “Holden told me you were sending the security footage off to a specialist. So you can tell Holden information, but not me?”

  Starla could tell that bringing up Holden had stung Kane. She felt a pang of regret, but she wasn’t sure why. They were all just friends, and if she ended up with Holden, Starla didn’t want to have to tiptoe around the topic with Kane. She also couldn’t imagine not having Kane in her life.

  Did she feel the same way about Holden?

  Kane interrupted her thoughts. “He’s involved in the case, Starla. I have to communicate with him since he’s in charge of the resort. It’s different, but it’s interesting that he’s filling you in on the details. Then, he sends you over here to pressure me.” Kane had begun to get agitated.

  “That’s not what happened. He didn’t send me here. I don’t need him to tell me what to do,” Starla protested.

  “Look, Starla, you’re adorable and all…” Kane began.

  Starla shot up out of her chair and her face turned a bright shade of red. So much blood rushed to her face that she almost matched her dress.

  “Don’t you dare talk down to me, Orion Kane. If I were myself, you wouldn’t have the audacity to speak to me that way.”

  “Okay, Starla. I’m sorry.” Kane said, but he stood up as well. “But what do you mean if you were yourself?”

  Starla realized that she was dangerously close to revealing things to Kane that she’d sworn she wouldn’t. Blossom would be upset if Starla revealed the reality of witches to Kane. Not only that, but the sheriff would think she was nuts and haul her off to the psych floor at the hospital for an evaluation.

  “I’m just tired is all. That’s all I meant.”

  Kane came around the desk and surprised Starla by pulling her into a hug. He wrapped his big, strong arms around her and squeezed her just hard enough against his chest. She turned her head to the side and listened to his heartbeat for a moment. It was the magical sound of a witch’s heart, and Starla wondered how it was possible that he didn’t know how special he really was.

  “You’ve had it rough since you got here,” he said and stroked her hair affectionately.

  For just a moment, Starla relaxed and let herself enjoy his embrace. Kane smelled like spice and a hint of coconut from the sunscreen he wore. She inhaled deeply. “Thank you for caring about how things have been for me,” was all she could manage.

  “Well, it’s obvious you’re falling apart, Starla. Your shoes don’t even match.” The smile on Kane’s face was evident in his voice.

  “You noticed?” Starla pulled back a bit from the hug and looked into his eyes.

  “I notice everything about you,” he said.

  The air between them was heavy with promise. Starla wasn’t sure if she was ready for it, but at that moment, she wanted nothing more than for Kane to lean in and kiss her. She could swear that his lips were moving toward hers when the office door burst open.

  “Oh, sorry. Oh sorry,” Karen the receptionist blushed furiously when she walked in and saw Kane and Starla in an embrace. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but there is a fire. The volunteer fire department says it’s small, but they’ve requested that you come out and meet them.”

  “I’ve got to go,” Kane said, and Starla felt a heavy loss come over her when he let go.

  She was still in a haze, and by the time she’d snapped out of it, Kane was gone.

  The fire hadn’t been an accident. The thief hid outside the sheriff’s station and watched as Kane pulled out of the lot. They just needed a few minutes alone with Starla and her meddling could be put to rest.

  As the stalker had hoped, Starla chose to walk home. It was still daytime and the island was so hospitable, for the most part, that Starla never turned around to look behind her. It never occurred to her that someone might be following her home.

  But someone was. That someone had a gun and was ready to do far worse than steal a couple of family heirlooms from a suitcase.

  This job had been far different than the ones the thief normally pulled. They usually swiped cash, credit cards, and easy to sell jewelry when they were pilfering for their own gain. When they took jobs for clients, it was normally more of the same. Most of the time, the police didn’t care enough to investigate. A police report was filed, the local P.D. gave the victim some glad-handing and a song and dance about how hard they’d work to return the valuables, and then they shoved the police report in a desk drawer. The thief absconded with their pilfered goods, and not much follow-up was ever done. They moved between tourist destinations and never returned to one they’d previously used until a good amount of time had passed.

  They should have just left the island, but an issue with passports had landed them a couple of extra days on Clownfish Cay. The nosey Starla was putting them in danger of being caught.

  The thief was ready to remedy that, though. They watched with glee as the woman walked down a deserted street, far away from the tourist areas of the island. Starla was taking the less populated streets home, and the thief could only guess that she’d wanted some quiet time.

  An opportunity presented itself. The thief looked around and could see no one around but Starla, and she’d bent down to adjust the strap on one of her shoes.

  The thief had quickly hid behind a building that gave them a clear shot at Starla. After leveling the gun at the woman’s head, they held their breath and began to slowly squeeze the trigger.

  “Excuse me, Miss! Do you know the way back to the docks?”

  Foiled.

  A large group of college-age boys came spilling out of a nearby alley and headed toward the woman. She stood up and began to explain the way back to the tourist area of the island.

  By the time she’d finished pointing the boys in the right direction, a couple more people had made their way out of their homes or local businesses. There was too much foot traffic on the street for the thief to get another chance.

  They followed Starla nearly all the way home, but another opportunity did not present itself. At least for the time being, Starla managed to escape death.

  Chapter Four

  The next morning when Starla woke up, Presto was sitting on her chest staring at her. That was something she’d read that other cats did when they wanted breakfast, but Presto had never done anything like that before.

  “Presto?” she asked as she used the backs of her hands to rub her eyes. “What’s up?”

  The cat didn’t answer except to bump her chin with the top of his fuzzy head. Starla’s heart sank. The more Presto acted like an average cat, the more she worried that something irreversible had happened to Damek.

  “Okay, let’s get you some breakfast.”

  At that, Presto jumped down from her chest and the bed and darted into the kitchen. She smiled at his enthusiasm for his breakfast.

  Starla had never had a normal cat before. All the cats she’d had since
she was little were familiars. They all either talked or had some sort of other mystical power. Without Damek inside, Presto was just a regular cat. A cat that would continue to be her pet even after she found a way to permanently separate the witch from her familiar.

  She’d need a new familiar. After all, Starla though, what is a witch without her animal sidekick? There was plenty of time for that later, though. The right familiar would find her once she’d freed Damek Dred from Presto for good.

  In the kitchen, Presto sat hunched over in front of his food bowl. His tail swished happily across the tiled kitchen floor. Starla filled his dish and put a pot of water on the stove for her coffee.

  “Presto, I need to talk to you about something now that you can’t respond,” Starla said as she gathered her instant coffee and mug. “I think I’m falling for two men. One of them is infuriating, but I can’t figure out why he gets under my skin the way he does. His sense of humor is brash, and he makes me so angry sometimes. That’s the thing, Presto. Maybe I’m not really falling for him. He’s good-looking, like really good-looking, but that’s not enough to make up for his insufferable personality,” Starla said and spooned some coffee into her mug. “but that’s not fair. There is so much more to him than a cocky attitude. He’s a good guy underneath it all, and he sees me. Despite the fact that he thinks I’m trouble, I can be myself around him.”

  Meow.

  “Yeah, there’s another guy too. I met him first, and I started to have feelings for him when he was involved in some serious drama. Still, I felt drawn to him despite the fact that I should have run screaming away. He’s a sweet man who is also devastatingly handsome. That guy makes me feel like I want to be a better person when he’s around,” Starla said as she got the cream from her refrigerator. “Or does he make me feel like I need to put on a show to impress him? No, that can’t be right. Holden just makes me want to be the best version of myself. That’s a good thing, Presto.”

  Meow.

  “You’re right. I need to focus on what is good for me and stop letting an obnoxious sheriff get me bothered. I’m still worried that he’s going to jump the gun and arrest that housekeeper too. Kane didn’t say anything to alleviate my fears about that.”