Lifeguard - James Patterson [48]
Ellie looked around for someone she could yell to if things got really bad. A band was starting to play inside. If this got back to Moretti, she’d be toast.
“It seems our talk the other day didn’t impress.” Stratton yanked her across the tiles to a fieldstone ledge.
“You’re a pretty little girl, Ellie. You know how pretty little girls have to be careful in today’s world. Even when they’re with the FBI.”
“You don’t want to take this any further,” Ellie said, trying to pull away. “You’re threatening a federal agent. . . .”
“Threats? I didn’t make any threats, Agent Shurtleff. All the threats came from you. Tess was private. I liked to fuck the little bitch, that’s all. I don’t know how she died. I don’t much care. But as an observation, when pretty little girls do things, like, say, jog on the beach, or better yet, sea-kayaking . . . Look, Ellie . . . You never can tell how rough it gets out there in the surf.”
“I’m going to tie you to Earl Anson.” Ellie glared back at him.
Her cardigan fell off. Stratton had her by the arm, a grin on his face she didn’t like, staring at her shape and her bare shoulders. “You must look cute in a wetsuit, Ellie. Maybe I’d like to see some more of you myself.”
Chapter 55
WHAT WAS THIS?
I was out on the jetty, overlooking Stratton’s house, when I saw it all unfold. I’m not sure why I was even there. Maybe because that was where it all began; where Mickey and Bobby and Barney had been set up—and I was out of answers. Or because it burned me that Stratton could be in there celebrating about something while my life was falling apart.
Or maybe because it seemed that I’d been watching parties like this from the outside my whole life.
Whatever it was, I watched this guy in a navy blazer dragging a girl onto the terrace, maybe fifty yards away. He forced himself against her on the stone ledge. Shit, Ned, you’ve hit the bottom now, I groaned. I figured I was in for some peep show of the idle rich doing it under the stars.
Suddenly I realized the girl was Ellie.
I went closer. It was Ellie! And the guy in the blazer, Dennis Stratton. I’d seen his picture in the papers. But I was wrong. There was nothing amorous going on. He had her by the arm and they were arguing. Ellie tried to pull away.
I inched closer, crouching near a rock wall. Their words started to come clear. Something about Tess . . . something about this being a private matter. Was I hearing this right? What did Tess have to do with Stratton?
Then Ellie said, “I’m going to nail you for fraud—and murder!”
That was all I needed to hear, but the bastard started threatening her. Ellie was trying to twist away. “You’re hurting me.”
I hoisted myself up the concrete seawall and onto the ledge of the terrace.
Then I jumped down off the ledge onto the terrace a few feet behind the two of them. It all happened quickly after that. I jerked Stratton away and nailed him with a solid right. He went down hard on the terrace.
“You want to put your hands on somebody,” I said over him, “c’mon, how ’bout me?”
Stratton looked up as if he were dreaming. He rubbed his jaw. “Who the hell are you?”
I turned to Ellie and did a double take. She was beautiful. In a cute black dress, shoulders exposed. All made up. And diamond studs sparkling in her ears, nice ones. She was staring at me with her mouth open.
I was hoping I hadn’t shocked her so much that she’d say my name.
She didn’t. Instead, Ellie took hold of my arm. “I was wondering where you were. Let’s get out of here.” She looked at Stratton, who was slowly getting to his feet. “Love your party, Dennis. I’ll be seeing you soon. Count on it.”
Chapter 56
“THAT WAS BAD, NED,” Ellie said, hustling around the side of Stratton’s house. “You could’ve been caught.”
“I thought that was the plan,” I said, guiding her past a couple of parking attendants at the front gate. “I get caught.”
She made a right turn onto the beach. I was half expecting her to stop, pull out her gun, and arrest me right there. Then