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  DEAD STORM

  Emma Rose Watts

  Copyright © 2019 by Emma Rose Watts

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Dead Storm: A Coastal Suspense Series Book 5 is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  For my Family

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  A Plea

  Newsletter

  About the Author

  Also by Emma Rose Watts

  Prologue

  July, Carrabelle, Florida

  48 Hours Before Landfall

  A strong wind howled, and palm leaves thrashed against the window outside the hotel room of Jason Matthews. Wearing nothing but underpants and a white robe, he went through his usual ritual. He removed his wedding band and slipped it into the drawer beside the queen-sized bed. He brushed his teeth and dabbed on some spicy cologne, all in preparation for her arrival. Excitement roiled around inside him. Oh, the sweet bliss of making love to a woman twenty years younger than him was the highlight of his week. He didn’t have time for another long-winded “tell me about your feelings” conversation, or going through the arduous process of dating his wife just to get in her in the mood, or having to convince her into giving him what he wanted. That was too much of a headache. He knew what he wanted and for a few hundred bucks he could get it without strings attached.

  The phone rang and he picked it up. It was the front desk of the Old Carrabelle Hotel.

  “Hello sir, sorry to bother you but we are alerting guests. We have you down for one night, however we may have to evacuate due to the approaching storm.”

  “What?”

  “The storm, sir.”

  He glanced out. A fine rain fell, and the wind blew hard but that was to be expected in hurricane season. “Oh please, I’ve weathered worse storms than this. I’ll be fine.”

  “We understand, but in order to avoid damage and loss of life, we don’t take risks. We need time to board up the windows and evacuate.”

  “Then why the hell did you let me book in?”

  “You booked last week, sir. We weren’t sure then or today if it was going to get worse. We’ve been monitoring the weather channel. And please, understand, we hate to turn away paying customers and you have been one of our best.”

  “Damn right I have,” he said. He poured himself two fingers of bourbon which had been a gift from the hotel manager. He downed it in one go as the desk clerk waffled on about the storm and how risky it could be to stay in the area.

  “I will talk to management again but I think they have made up their mind. They are going to close up early which would mean all guests this evening would have to leave. You will be refunded and provided with a free room the next time you come back as our way of compensating you for the inconvenience.”

  “Well how about you go ahead and look into that before calling me? Once you know for sure, call me back,” he said before slamming the phone down.

  Jason flipped the TV on and turned to a news channel to get the update. Before he could listen, there was a knock at the door. He ambled over to the door and opened it to let in a long-legged, blond, green-eyed beauty.

  “Oh, the weather out there is terrible,” she said.

  “And yet you look incredible. How do you do it?” he asked as he leaned in and kissed her before she brushed past him in a tight red dress. She slipped out of her high heels and ran her hands through her long silky hair before taking a seat on the edge of the bed and looking all sultry.

  “So how does a girl around here get a drink?”

  He smiled, eyeing her before pouring hers. He handed it to her. She took a sip and placed it on the counter before rising and telling him she just wanted to powder her nose and slip into something more comfortable. Jason grabbed her as she was about to walk away and kissed her hard before groping her ass like she was merchandise. That was all he saw her as. Nothing but meat to satisfy his every pleasure.

  While she got ready, he went over to a table and snorted another line of coke before rubbing his nose and removing his robe and underpants.

  She returned and the fun began.

  Twenty minutes later, he watched her slip back into her dress before counting out the money he’d left in an envelope on the counter. It was always in the same place. He never told her where it was as these women had an eye for scanning the countertops. A few wouldn’t do anything unless they saw that envelope.

  “Same time next week?”

  “Always,” she said casting a glance at him and heading out without even a kiss goodbye. It was just a transaction. He got what he wanted, she received what she needed. It was never drawn out. He slipped back into his robe and laid back, satisfied, and cast a glance at his phone that started vibrating. He picked it up and noticed it was from his wife.

  “How are you, honey?”

  “Good, hon, you staying out late again?”

  “Yeah, looks like this storm might be getting worse. I may call it a night with the fishing, in which case you may see me later this evening. Don’t wait up though.”

  “I’ll leave the light on.”

  He hung up. There was no guilt. He gave her what she wanted. A home, kids, friendship, she was never really into anything more than that. At least she hadn’t been in over ten years. So, he didn’t feel bad getting his needs met elsewhere.

  He turned his attention to the TV that was playing quietly in the background.

  “The National Hurricane Center has put out an alert that Hurricane Norman has just been updated to category 2 strength. Currently it is 840 miles off the east coast of Nassau and about 900 miles southeast of Miami. If you take a look at our satellite image you can see where the eye of the storm is right here. This mass of swirling clouds is building. Now we know that this is getting stronger and it should make landfall by tomorrow. We will continue to monitor it and provide an advisory update every thirty minutes. Please know that this will be an extremely dangerous hurricane with winds that are up to 110 miles per hour. Homes could sustain major roof and siding damage. Shallow-rooted trees will be snapped or uprooted and roads will be blocked. Expect a power outage for at least a few days. Please follow the guidelines on our website for preparing and protecting your life and property.”

  He rolled his eyes. It was always the same. They jumped the gun. These people would have never survived Iraq. He poured himself another drink and was about to settle in for the evening when there was a knock at the door.

  “Come back later.”

  Another knock.

  He shook his head and figured it must be his lady friend. He scanned the room as he walked over wondering what she had left behind. Her shoes weren’t there, and there was no bag. Jason reached for the handle and opened the door. It was Martin Albright, the owner of the hotel.

  “Mr. Matthews. Bad news. We are closing down for the evening. I hate to do this to you.”

  He snorted and shook his head, tu
rning without letting him finish. “I was leaving anyway. I’ll just gather my things together.”

  Martin stepped inside. “As a valued customer, did my staff tell you about the free night?”

  “They did, though I don’t exactly think it’s much. I paid for the evening.”

  “And you will be refunded.”

  Jason waved him off. “Whatever. But I will hold you to that free night.”

  “Certainly. Thank you for understanding.”

  With that, Martin left him to get dressed. Although he’d lived in Port St. Joe for the better part of twelve years, and was used to dealing with hurricane season, he hated being put out. He still had a few things in mind for the evening — a trip to a strip club in the city, finding his local dealer and hitting him up for some more coke, and possibly taking back to his room a single, bored housewife. But now that had all gone out the window.

  Once he collected his bags, he checked out and headed into the blustery evening. A heavy wind blew his jacket around. It was getting worse, that was for sure. He’d parked around back, in an area that wasn’t visible from the road. Even though he specifically picked Carrabelle because it wasn’t his town, he didn’t want anyone seeing his truck. The last thing he wanted was his wife finding out, or a friend from the veterans club. His black Ford truck was parked at the far corner of the lot beneath a bald cypress. He pressed the key fob while juggling his bag, and opened the door. He threw his bag into the back and closed it. He cast a glance over his shoulder at the lights of homes nearby that were beginning to flicker. Damn hurricane. Always messes things up, he thought as he made his way around to the driver’s side.

  Just as he was about get into the vehicle, there was a shuffle behind him. He cast a glance over his shoulder just in time to see a dark form coming up fast.

  Before he knew it, something had been looped over his head and around his neck.

  The person yanked him back, twisted him around and took his legs out from underneath him. It happened so fast, he didn’t know what was going on until he hit the ground and exhaled hard.

  That was when the pain began.

  The noose tightened. He scrambled, gripping at it and trying to pull it away from his neck, but his attacker had his knee pushed into the center of his back holding him down. No matter how hard he tried he couldn’t get the darn thing loose.

  “Help, help,” he spluttered in a low voice as he saw several guests from the hotel leave and cross over to their vehicles. But they never heard his shallow cries. They were too busy fighting against the imposing wind and rain that was pelting the earth.

  No, this was not how he was going to die. Not like this.

  But it was. And he couldn’t do a damn thing about it.

  He gasped as he lay on the ground breathing his last.

  The figure loomed over him, and twisted the rope tighter.

  One more twist, and darkness crept in at the corner of his eyes and he succumbed to death’s grip.

  1

  Harvey Baker had been up since the crack of dawn installing the steel shutters on the windows of his home on River Road. He was accustomed to preparing for hurricanes. In fact, he prided himself on the many ways he would get the town prepared. If there was even the slightest inkling that a hurricane was heading their way, he had his phone set up to send him notifications from the National Hurricane Center. It was a way of life in Florida. When they weren’t enjoying the sunshine, they were dancing with Mother Nature. It came hand in hand, and he liked to think he was one hell of a dancer. The ladder beneath him rocked, and he yelled down to his wife, Elizabeth, to hold it steady.

  “Dear God, woman, can you please stop looking at your phone? My life is hanging in the balance here and you are checking your status update. Meanwhile I nearly had a vision of the pearly gates and St. Peter calling my name.”

  “Oh, Harv, you do exaggerate. Actually, nosy, I was checking in with Peggy to see what the weather is like down in Fort Lauderdale.”

  He rolled his eyes as he screwed in another panel. “Let me guess. She said rain, and wind?”

  “Don’t be sarcastic.”

  The ladder rocked again and he cursed under his breath. He glanced over to the home of his neighbor, Erik Sanders, who was in the habit of leaving his trash out a day before pickup. He didn’t mind when the weather was nice but he thought he could have at least used his common sense and kept it inside his garage. No, he’d left it out and now half of it had blown down the street like tumbleweed.

  “I swear he does it on purpose just to yank my chain.”

  “Who?” Elizabeth asked, still holding the ladder with one hand.

  “Holy Moses.”

  Harvey referred to him as Holy Moses as even though he wasn’t a minister, he certainly fancied himself as one and would take any chance he got to preach at anyone who would listen, and those who wouldn’t.

  “His garbage is all over the street.”

  “I don’t think it’s going to matter. By the time this storm is over, we’re going to have more than garbage to pick up.”

  “That can’t be helped. That can,” he said, stopping to point his finger.

  “Oh, look at this picture of Janice’s niece. How beautiful.”

  He grumbled as he made his way back down the ladder and then shifted it over to the next window, his daughter’s bedroom. “Two more left to do and then we are done.”

  “So are we going to evacuate? I don’t fancy riding this one out.”

  “We will see.”

  One year he’d stayed thinking it wasn’t going to get bad. Never again. It was too wild. Now he traveled inland to his summer cottage. While they still suffered from the high winds and rain it wasn’t as bad as being in the direct line of fire. However, news reports were mixed on this one. It seemed as if everyone was unsure so he was anticipating staying.

  “What about Skylar? Do you know if she has a place to stay?”

  “She said she’s made arrangements. What that means is anyone’s guess. I don’t know what she is planning to do from one second to the next. Lately she’s been a bit spacey.”

  “Spacey?”

  “You know— not with it. I’m talking to her and she just walks off, or I think I’m having a conversation with her only to find she is checking her phone.”

  “Probably checking her status update,” Elizabeth said.

  “Oh yeah, because everyone has time to do that.” She nudged him as he made his way up the ladder. “Pass me up that shutter please, hon.” He sniffed and looked out towards the Gulf Coast. The waves were crashing against the shore, and birds were flying away from the ocean. Harvey grabbed the shutter and pulled it up to insert it into the header. Just as he was about to do that, he glanced into his daughter’s bedroom and his jaw dropped. Harvey dropped the shutter and wobbled on the ladder.

  “Harv, what are you doing?”

  A quick, hard bang on the window, and his daughter and the beefy, half-dressed guy turned. “Oh hey, Mr. Baker. Wassup!”

  Harvey nearly fell off the ladder. After climbing down, he marched indoors. “Payton. Payton! Get out here now.” She was already out and halfway down the corridor thrusting the half-dressed teenage boy out the back door.

  “Oh you better run!” Harvey yelled. He slammed the door closed and turned. Payton swallowed hard as he directed her into the kitchen where her mother was waiting with arms crossed.

  “You want to explain?”

  “He’s just a friend.”

  “And do your friends usually wear only boxer shorts when they visit? And are they of the male gender?”

  “I have a lot of male friends, Dad.”

  “As do I, but I don’t invite them back for a sleepover.”

  Both Payton and Elizabeth looked at him slightly confused. “What I’m trying to say is that you are in big trouble. We did not raise you to be this way.”

  Payton scowled. “He didn’t have a place to stay.”

  “Do we look like a homeless shelte
r?”

  “He’s not homeless, Dad.”

  “Then why was he here?”

  “His father can be a little heavy-handed at times. He drinks a lot and well lately it’s been pretty bad. He came over last night.”

  “Did he? At what hour?”

  “Late.”

  “And how did he enter?”

  She cast a glance down at the floor. “Through the window. But that’s only because I knew you would kick up a fuss and send him on his way.”

  “You’re damn right I would, missy. You are seventeen. When you have left home, you can have as many boys as you like around.”

  Elizabeth shot him a glance.

  “I meant, you can have your fiancé around whenever you like.” He looked for confirmation from Elizabeth that he’d said the right thing. She nodded. “But that is not your fiancé, neither is it your boyfriend.”

  “I’ve been dating for two years, Dad.”

  “What? Who? When? Why am I the last to hear about this?” His eyes darted between the two of them. “Please, Elizabeth, tell me you did not know.”

  Elizabeth cleared her throat. “Perhaps you guys should have this conversation. I need to get ready to head into work.”

  “I thought you weren’t working today.”

  “I’m not. The store still needs shutters put up and well, Mike isn’t in so it’s down to me.”

  “Well I could help.”

  “Would you?”

  Right then his phone started buzzing. He glanced down at it. It was Davenport. He put a finger up. Payton turned to walk away. “Hey. You and I are not done with this conversation. Tonight we’ll continue this.”

  She muttered something as she disappeared down the hallway. Michael, his oldest, wandered out with a grin as Harvey answered the phone.