âWelcome to Cape Diablo.â
The manâs tone didnât match his words.
âThanks. Iâm Jaci Matlock, the new tenant.â
âYeah, I know.â
So this was the caretaker. He didnât look that bad for a recluse whoâd spent half his life on a secluded island. He was as unfriendly as sheâd expected. Sheâd have to play this just right to get him to talk to her about the past, or even let her into the boathouse.
âFollow me,â he said.
An icy tremble slithered down Jaciâs spine as she started up the shadowy path toward the house. The crimes might have occurred thirty years ago, but the air seemed alive with dark and possibly deadly secrets.
The situation was a forensic studentâs dream, unlessâ¦
Unless it turned into a nightmare.
To Amanda Stevens and B.J. Daniels who, as always, were a ball to work with. And a special thanks to Denise Zaza, our wonderful editor, who puts up with all three of us and whose editorial insight and guidance is invaluable.
And, of course, to all of you readers who help us keep writing the stories we love by buying our books of intrigue, passion and happy endings.
When not creating tales of spine-tingling suspense and heartwarming romance, Joanna Wayne enjoys reading, traveling, playing golf and spending time with family and friends.
Joanna believes that one of the special joys of writing is knowing that her stories have brought enjoyment to or somehow touched the lives of her readers.
Jaci MatlockâThe cold murder case is just a project until she becomes obsessed with finding the truth about what happened that murderous night on Cape Diablo thirty years ago.
Raoul LazarioâHeâd expected a challenge when he came to the island to see Carlos, but he wasnât prepared for Jaci Matlock or the danger that threatened her.
Mac LowellâHe is the investigating officer whoâd made detailed photos of the crime scene and blood splatters the night the Santiago family had disappeared.
Bull GatlanâThe man who delivers visitors and supplies to Cape Diablo.
Enrique LopezâFriend of Carlos and Alma, but his interest seems to lie in seducing Jaci.
Ralph Linsky and Jack PaigeâDetectives from Everglades City.
Carlos LazarioâRaoulâs great-uncle, a friend to Andres Santiago and caretaker of Cape Diablo. A man with secrets of his own.
Alma GarciaâSheâd been the Santiago childrenâs nanny until theyâd disappeared. Now sheâs delusional and wanders the island in a tattered white dress.
The Santiago FamilyâAndres had run a smuggling operation and built the once-beautiful Spanish villa that dominates the island. Medina was the daughter of a fallen Central American dictator and Andresâs second wife. Their two daughters, Pilar and Reyna, disappeared alongside them thirty years ago.
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Epilogue
Jaci Matlock could look at crime scene photos by the hour and never once get bored. But after a half hour in a Naples, Florida, art gallery with her mother, she was all but climbing the walls. Even the flute of bubbly the gallery owner had pressed into her hand didnât help, though sheâd have hated to face the evening without it.
Her mother stopped in front of an abstract that looked as if it had been painted by a menopausal chimpanzee. She stared at it for a minute. âI hate to imagine what the artist was thinking when she painted that.â
âAnother night of reruns?â Jaci offered.
âOr when will my daughter come for a real visit?â
âIâm standing right next to you. That feels like a real visit to me.â
âTwo days and one night is not a real visit. Are you sure you canât stay longer?â
âIf I did, Iâd be rambling through the house alone. Youâre leaving for a monthâs cruise Wednesday.â
âYou could use a vacation yourself. We could go to Europe for a couple of weeks when I get back, just the two of us. Paris is lovely in the fall.â
âOr we could have lunch at that new French restaurant you were telling me about. I can possibly spring for the tip.â
âIâm not kidding, Jaci. You spend far too much time wallowing in the morbid. Clarence and I could give you the trip as an early present for earning your graduate degree.â
Her motherâs husband, Clarence Harding III, could definitely afford it. And to give the old fart credit where credit was due, he was generous with his darling wife, Evelyn and Jaci as well.
But Jaci was far too independentâand stubbornâto live on her stepfatherâs handouts. Thankfully, her father had started a college fund for her before heâd died. That, a part-time job waiting tables and the small inheritance sheâd received from her dadâs parents had let her earn her undergraduate and Masterâs degrees with a minimum of loans.
Almost. She still had one major hurdle to pass.