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drew him into her arms and his tiny body connected with hers, giving off a penetrating warmth that made her heart swell. She kissed his soft, rubbery cheek and inhaled his sweet scent, then pulled back and looked at him. “Brought Mush.”
    He smiled, his little hands seizing the teddy bear. “Can we go home now, Mommy?”
    She looked up at Nita, wishing she had the nerve to tell her son, “Yes.” Amy wanted nothing more than to pick him up, put him in the Jeep, and leave. Instead, she said, “Mommy will be back for you tomorrow night, Sweetheart.” She ran her hand through his unruly, platinum curls. “Big hug now.” Two twiggy arms scuttled around her neck and a damp kiss was planted on her cheek.
    Jamie pulled back and examined the wet mark with two huge gray eyes that sparkled with mischief. “Bye Mommy, be good,” he told her through a smile. Always a smile.
    Reluctantly, Amy let him go, watching as he climbed the stairs into his Aunt Nita’s outstretched arms. He squirmed and looked back at his mom, waving.
    As Amy stood, she was overwhelmed by the sudden irresistible compulsion to snatch Jamie from her sister-in-law. She and Nita had never been close. Her sister-in-law was cool and aloof and her words held a biting edge that often oozed with sarcasm. Rather than run verbal warfare with the woman, Amy kept conversation, and time spent with Nita, to a minimum. Looking hard at her sister-in-law, Amy tried to discern her sudden anxiety. She shivered and said, “Feels like it’s going to rain any. You can smell the ozone in the air.”
    Nita’s short, black hair whipped her face. “Weatherman says we’re in for another storm. Not the whopper we had last night though. I guess it’s that time of year again.” She ran her eyes down Amy’s tall, slim body, her mouth forming a snarl. “I’d invite you inside, but you probably want to enjoy your time without Jamie.”
    Amy winced, and trying to ignore the mockery, pointed to the second story window. “Better close your upstairs window. See you tomorrow night.” Her voice trailed off as she turned and dashed to the Jeep. Yanking open the door, she dove inside. Before backing from the drive, she glanced at the porch. Empty. Nita had taken Jamie inside. Amy stared at the closed door, swallowing down an intense sense of loss that she couldn’t understand. She put the Jeep in reverse. Home, Amy thought,.
    The wind was gusting by the time she reached Lighthouse Road. Since the Cape Peril Lighthouse was no longer manned, the narrow, winding coast road had fallen into disrepair and washouts were frequent during winter storms. The Jeep Cherokee rounded a sharp curve in the road. She was at The Wash , where the road met the sea. When the waves were up during high tide, the combination of seawater and rain often flooded the road.
    A smoky shaft of afternoon light sliced through the cloud and into the rolling sea. With the force of the entire Pacific behind them, the waves crashed heavily onto the bluff, sending spray high into the air, and across the windshield. Amy turned the wipers on high and negotiated the Jeep through the potholes as she continued along the narrow road toward Cape Peril.
    She loved the ocean and the coast. For a reason she could never explain, she found herself drawn magnetically to the sea. It gave her a compelling sense of well-being. Her grandfather’s voice echoed in her mind. “ The ocean always makes things right, Girl."
     
     

CHAPTER 7
     
     
    No one was at the Johnson residence when Sheriff Dallas Wayburne arrived, so he walked the property, the beach below, and the state land all the way to the Cape Peril Lighthouse, searching for missed clues and insights into the case.
    Amy pulled onto her drive, parked the Jeep beside the Yukon marked, SHERIFF, and walked around the house, looking for him. Stopping at the staircase to the beach, she leaned over the wooden rail, to see if he was down there.
    Dallas walked up behind her. Knowing