Death on the Coast, M Comley [book club books TXT] 📗

of concern nipped at her, but he may have very well stayed after class to help make the school ready for the storm. Perhaps she should go over there, or at least come up with a game plan she should work on until he could come home. She grabbed her bag and keys and got into her car, heading for the village’s high school.

It was a small building, perhaps a total of two hundred students attending at the high school level. She drove around to the back, looking for Mark’s car, but it was nowhere to be seen.

“I wonder why he isn’t answering his phone?” Lucy said.

She was trying to submerge the growing sense of fear she was experiencing. She drove through the center of town, trying to spot his blue sedan, but couldn’t find it anywhere. A pass by the hardware and the grocery produced the same result. She prayed she’d find him at home and it had just been a phone malfunction, but she pulled into an empty drive. The wind had picked up considerably.

Lucy tried his phone once more, but got the voicemail again. Finally, at a loss, she called Brendon. “Hi, it’s me.”

“What’s up?” His voice was loud; he was outdoors somewhere, probably helping to prepare for the advancing storm.

“I’m not sure what to do.”

“Why, what’s wrong?”

“Mark isn’t here. I’ve tried looking for him, but can’t find him.”

“I’m sure he’ll show up. Every able-bodied man is around town, helping those who can’t help themselves.”

“But he’s not answering his phone either. I’ve left several messages—nothing.”

“Where are you now?”

“I’m at home. Mark’s not here, as I said, to cover the windows, so I guess I’ll have to let them go.”

There was a hesitation at his end. “I’ll be over within the hour to take care of it.”

“No, no, Brendon, you’ve got your hands full.”

“I’ll be there. Call me if Mark shows up in the meantime.”

Lucy disconnected and went to hunt for the flashlights in the house. She’d been through lots of these storms, and while she always took them in her stride, sometimes they were worse than expected. Lucy had learned to over-prepare. She checked their stores of canned goods and fresh water. They were fine. She put the laptop and her phone on the chargers and packed the freezer with food and extra containers of water. A packed freezer would hold the cold longer.

Lucy waited for Mark’s phone call, but it never came. When there was finally a knock at the door, she answered it to find Brendon. “Come in.”

“I take it Mark hasn’t come home or called?”

Lucy shook her head.

“Well, let’s take a look at what we can do here before it gets any worse out there. Do you have any plywood?”

“In the garage. Let me put my shoes on.”

“I’ll get it.” Brendon headed for the garage while Lucy wiped at her tears and struggled to get her shoes on.

“It’ll be okay.” Brendon’s voice was deep, close by and caring. “Is it because he’s not here, or are you scared?”

“Mostly scared, bit of both things. Why doesn’t he call me back? He’s got to know the storm is headed inland. He knows I can’t board up this place on my own. Doesn’t he care?”

Brendon put his arm over her shoulder and said, “C’mon. You hold the screws while I get these boards up.”

They finished up just as the hard rain blew in.

“Brendon, thank you so much for your help.”

“Hey, Lucy, why don’t you come with me? City Hall has a basement. It’ll withstand this blow better than your beach house,” he pointed out, squinting up at the television antenna that was flopping on its side already. “Mark’s not here. You can leave him a note, but you’d be all alone, and I’d feel better if I knew you were safe.”

Lucy glanced at the antenna and felt fear in the pit of her stomach. Being rescued by Brendon meant safety and possible danger at the same time. She finally nodded. “I’ll be closer to the action down there, you’re right. It will be easier to get my stories for the paper.”

He shook his head, a white-toothed grin piercing the pelting rain. “However you need to justify it, just lock up and get in the car.”

She held up a finger. “Just give me a minute. Going to leave a note and grab some dry clothes and a sandwich. Can I make you one?”

He nodded. “Actually, that would be great.”

“Good. I’ll be with you in a few minutes.”

Lucy sensed he was thinking badly of Mark, leaving his defenseless wife alone in a major storm. Lucy wondered if Brendon was thinking that he would treat her better if they were together. She dismissed the idea and ran upstairs, packed a quick bag, then returned to the kitchen and flung a few pieces of meat between four slices of bread.

Lucy emerged from the house, a bag in one hand and her purse and a plastic bag of sandwiches in the other. She reached in through Brendon’s window to hand him the sandwiches. “You’ve got hot coffee at the precinct, right?”

“Sure.”

“I’m going to drive separately. I’m too restless to leave my car here.”

A muscle jerked in Brendon’s jaw. He shrugged. “Suit yourself, but let’s get going.”

Their vehicles crept down the village streets, stopping frequently to veer around rolling trash receptacles or pieces of shingles blown from roofs. Lucy remained at a careful distance behind him, giving them both ample maneuvering room.

The precinct was located at the side of the building known as City Hall. It was brightly lit as everyone in the village government was on duty, coordinating their resources to help the residents and keep danger at bay. Lucy almost expected to see Mark’s car there, but was disappointed once again. Where is he?

Inside, Lucy took up position at a table in the call center. There, emergency calls were fielded to the proper personnel. It was clearly the nerve center of the operation and the best place for Lucy to snag