kiDNApped (A Tara Shores Thriller) by Rick Chesler Read Free Book Online Page B

there. Glad you’re okay.”
    The two engaged in an informal handshake and then Dave, now alone at his table, turned to Tara.
    “Yeah, I’m Dave Turner.”
    Tara showed him her badge.
    “Hi Dave, I'm Special Agent Tara Shores. I need to talk with you about what happened today.” She took a seat at the table.
    Dave set down his bottle of beer and then swept a hand over the table. “Be my guest. I sure would like to know who killed my boss out there today, and who almost killed me.”
    “So far I don’t know much beyond what was reported on the local news. Tell me what happened.” Tara surreptitiously thumbed a voice recorder in her pants pocket.
    Dave recounted his being hired by Johnson, the metal detector training, looking for the ring, the dive and seeing Johnson’s body plummet to the bottom with a severed neck. He ended with an account of his “rescue” by the canoers, although he was quick to point out that he would have easily made the swim to shore anyway.
    As he spoke, Tara evaluated the young man. His manner of speaking was commensurate with that of a recent college graduate. He did not seem to show signs of drug abuse—in fact, he seemed to be in good physical condition—although she would of course check his files with the Bureau. Her intuition told Tara that Dave was being honest, but she knew that if need be she could always subject him to a polygraph test and controlled interrogation.
    Just as Dave finished talking, Tara saw a man and woman walking on the sand past the row of tables, looking around. When the woman turned to look her way, Tara held out her badge. “Kristen Archer?” she called. She recognized Kristen and Lance from photos in the William Archer case file.
    Kristen nodded, and she and Lance made their way into the patio area to join Tara.
    “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Kristen said, offering her hand.
    Tara stood and shook Kristen’s hand. “I wish it were under better circumstances,” she said. She then shook hands with Lance, who spent more time visually appraising Tara’s outfit than did his sister. Tara wasn’t wearing the stereotypical FBI dark suit, but rather a conservative business outfit, Hawaiian style with a floral print top. Lance thought she looked like a banker, maybe a CPA, except for the pistol on her hip. “Please have a seat,” Tara said, waving them over to two empty chairs at the table.
    “I’m confused,” Dave said, looking up at Tara. “Why are they here?”
    “They're here for their own, unrelated case, and this was the only time I could meet them.” Tara explained. Then she added, “However, their case also involved an unusual boating incident in these waters, and although I don't in any way mean to insinuate that the two cases are connected...”
    “What is it that happened?” Kristen cut in as she and Lance took seats at the table.
    Dave recounted the events of the day yet again for Kristen and Lance, while Tara took the opportunity to check his story for inconsistencies. She found none.
    “Where are you two from?” Dave asked the Archers. Kristen told him they were from Los Angeles.
    “Ah, mainlanders. Well, I shouldn’t be too harsh. I was from there once, too,” Dave said. “And it looks like I’ll be going back again soon, the way things are going.”
    “Why’s that?” Kristen asked. Lance had settled into a seat opposite Dave and was now eyeing several full beers on the table that appeared to belong to no one.
    “I was hoping that my new job was going to pay for me to live here long enough to find something more permanent. But now my boss is dead, so this new gig is out the window.” Dave appeared sullen for a moment, but then perked up after watching Lance.
    “Hey, bud, help yourself to a brew—people keep bringing them to me because they saw me on TV, but they’ll be warm before I can get to ‘em all. Same for you, miss…or is it Mrs.?” Dave said, looking at Kristen, who had taken a seat beside